Fullmetal Alchemist and The Sin Alchemist
by ricochet941
Summary: Edward Elric encounters the newest State Alchemist with an astonishing power, a power that might help him return Alphonse to his body. The Sin Alchemist trusts no one, and is determined to follow her own twisted path to rid herself of her sins.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note**: Please be kind, as this is my first FMA fanfic. I have rearranged some of the events from both the manga and the anime to fit this story. Also, Maes Hughes isn't dead in this, nor is Scar.

Also- Sasharu (whom I already love dearly for being my first reviewer) was kind enough to point out that each epsidoes starts out with the fact that you can't create life from nothing. My character will explain will explain her alchemy later on in the story. Until then, please, keep that in mind. Thank you again, Sasharu for your review and bringing that to my attention. Much appreciated.

**Disclaimer**: I do not own FMA. I do own Ria Karma.

* * *

**_Fullmetal Alchemist_**

**_-and the-_**

**_Sin Alchemist_**

_written by Ricochet941_

**-Prologue-**

"Mustang, this had better be good."

_Click. Clack. Click. Clack._ Hundreds of boot-clad feet moved through the halls of Central Command at a rapid pace, running this way and that. Amongst the crowd moved two men, breaking the pace with their own leisurely stride. They wore similar uniforms, the only difference being the number of stars on their shoulders. They each bore a silver pocket watch, embossed with the State Alchemist Symbol.

"Now, Brigadier General, when have I ever let you down?" Roy Mustang flashed a smile towards his superior, and led the way into the Exam Facilities.

Brigadier General Grande, a tall, imposing man was taken back by what he saw before him. A single light shone on the middle of the floor, where the Alchemy Chair stood. It was always empty except for during exams, when applicants for the title of State Alchemist were put through a rigorous interview, beginning and ending immediately by proving their alchemic ability, or lack of, by sitting in the three-legged chair. But now, a young woman, whose dark black hair shielded her face from view, occupied the chair.

"Mustang, what's the meaning of this?" The Brigadier General rounded on the younger officer.

"Relax, Grande," A deep voice called from the shadows. "You are about to witness the alchemy of the first prodigy to come through since Fullmetal."

"Fuehrer King Bradley, forgive me," Grande saluted the shadow.

"Of course. Now kindly take a seat, so we can see exactly what Mustang's newest discovery is capable of."

Grande and Mustang both took their places in the shadows, and focused their gazes on the young girl. Even with all of the commotion surrounding their entrance, Grande could see clearly that the girl had not moved. Not a hair was out of place, not even moving in sync with her breath.

"State your name."

"Ria Karma," A voice, clear and hard, came from the living doll in front of them.

"You've passed the first test, Miss Karma, by sitting in the chair of Alchemy. It rejects those who are unworthy of the title of alchemist, those who do not understand the balance of life, humanity, and the world. Congratulations. The next step; please, why don't you show us a little of your alchemy?"

Without a word, the girl stood gracefully from the chair. At her waist hung a small silk drawstring bag, which she pulled loose from the loop of her belt. She pulled gently on the little bag to open it, and poured a smile pile of what appeared to be sand into her hand. She placed her left hand over her sand filled right. When she broke them apart, a ball of green flames sat where the sand had been. It did not burn her, a fact that surprised every member of the exam board. It lit up her face, showing a determined look etched upon the young girl. After a moment, she blew the flames out, and closed her hand tightly. She knelt down, and placing her hand at an angle on the floor, she opened her hand.

"_Chirp!_"

Out of her hand, tumbled a fluffy, yellow chick, chirping and hopping around. She stood up, and faced the panel of men across from her.

Boldly, she addressed them. "With the right elements I can bring back the dead, and create new life." She paused. "That is my alchemic skill."

_//-//_

_I, Fuehrer King Bradley, bestow upon thee, Ria Karma, the title of Sin Alchemist._

_For your alchemy is a sin among men and gods._

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**Please, read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please, be kind.**


	2. One

**Author's Note:** The first chapter. Please, read and review, but be kind. I have altered the time line of some of the events in both the manga and in the anime. Plus, Hughes is not dead, nor is Scar.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own FMA, but I do own Ria Karma.

**

* * *

**

**_Fullmetal Alchemist_**

**_-and the-_**

**_Sin Alchemist_**

**-One-**

"Brother!"

A youthful, exuberant voice rang out on the crowded street. Passersby looked around for the excited boy that the voice must have belong to, only to discover that in fact, there were no children at all. The voice itself seemed to be coming from a huge suit of armor that was crashing down the street at that very moment; waving a letter above it's head, it called out again.

"Brother! Edward! A letter from Colonel Mustang!"

The suit of armor came to a stop in front of a boy with golden eyes, and blonde golden hair pulled it a braid. The blonde boy was clad in a red jacket, bearing the sign of Nicolas Flamel, a famous alchemist from the past. The rest of his attire was black, right down to his boots that offered him no help in his height. Indeed, he barely came up to the chest of the suit of armor, only surpassing that by the use of his one upstanding hair. Edward Elric extended his hand to the suit of armor for the letter, looking as if this was a completely ordinary situation, ignoring the whispers of those around him and his younger brother Alphonse.

"Thanks, Al. Wonder why the Colonel sent me a letter. He's the one that sent me out here to do his damn dirty work," Ed smiled up at the suit of armor, suppressing the sadness that it could not smile back.

At the tender age of eleven, and his brother a year younger, Ed and Al had broken the most horrible of alchemic taboos. The death of their beloved mother had left them devastated, and desiring nothing more than to see her smile again, the boys had performed human transmutation, with disastrous results. Edward had lost his left leg as toll for the Truth, and Alphonse his entire body. Afraid of losing the only family he had left, Ed offered up his right arm in order to pull his brother's soul back from the gate, and had attached it a suit of armor near by. The armor that stood before him now was as empty as it had been that day, and his own arm and leg had been replaced by automail prosthetics.

"Brother, what does it say?" Al asked.

Edward looked down at the envelope. It was addressed to the Fullmetal Alchemist, and was very official looking. He ripped it open, and unfolded the letter.

_Fullmetal:_

_Report to Eastern Headquarters A.S.A.P._

_Mustang_

"That's it?" Ed turned the letter over in his hands. One sentence was all it was. "All that for one measly sentence? He could've called."

"I wonder why he wants you to come back to Eastern headquarters so soon," Al watched as Edward crumpled up the letter and tossed it over his shoulder. "I mean, we only just got here a week ago, and you're not done your inspection."

"Does he need a reason? Oh well, we'll have to get a train today then," Ed began walking in the direction of the train station. "I can just hear it now. 'So Fullmetal, did you find anything interesting? No? I don't pay you to have fun all day! You're a part of the military now, you better start acting like it!' I've been a state alchemist already for four years, I do his dirty work all the time, and he still complains."

Alphonse sighed as his brother continued to complain about his commanding officer, but followed him anyway to the train station.

//-//

"Sir, I've brought Ria to you. She's standing outside."

Riza Hawkeye stood in front of the desk of Roy Mustang. He looked up at her as she spoke, pulling himself away from the file in his hands. He leaned back in his chair, and peered around his lieutenant to spy the dark haired girl standing in the corridor. Sitting back up, he looked at Hawkeye.

"I've just been reading up on Ria, Hawkeye. I just couldn't believe my eyes when she performed in the testing room, I thought it was trickery of some sort, but its not, she's been doing this for years. And she's the same age as Fullmetal. But the thing is, her transmutations are imitation life." Mustang placed the file down on the desk.

"Imitation life, sir?" Hawkeye's eyebrow shifted upward.

"Yes," The Colonel nodded. "It can last for as long as they avoid contact with Ria, they will continue living. After the board had left the room, I spoke with Ria. She admitted that not only can she create the life, but she also can snuff it out. I think…"

Mustang paused for a moment, and stood up. Crossing around the desk he stood next to Hawkeye.

"I think she might be just what Fullmetal is looking for. She could make her transmutations permanent, if she had the philosophers stone," He leaned in towards her to whisper. "She can help them, I think."

Hawkeye nodded. "I received a message from Havoc. He said the Elric boys are on their way here as we speak. I got your letter to them quickly, but I didn't expect Edward to comply so quickly."

Mustang nodded, and then walked out of his office. Ria was still standing patiently in the hall, but had taken to looking around. In the full light of the hall, Roy could see that her eyes were green, but her face still carried that determined look that she had worn the day of the alchemy exam. Her long, thick black hair was pulled back into a loose braid, and she was dressed in all black. Around her neck was a transmutation circle pendant, and it rose in rhythm with her breathing.

"Sin, please come in to my office. We have much to discuss. I'd like to talk to you about you're alchemy more," Mustang motioned for her to come in side.

She nodded, and went in, followed closely by Mustang who shut the door. Taking a seat at the desk, Ria became once again the living doll that the Colonel had sent at her exam.

"Now, Sin, I was hoping you could give me a little information," The Colonel took a seat across from her, and spoke with the charisma that had wooed him so many woman in the past.

"Yes?" She didn't look up.

"Tell me about your past." His voice was soft as he leaned across the desk. "Tell me how you came to learn alchemy."

It was silent for several moments before she replied. "I'd rather not."

"I'm sorry?" Mustang sat up straight.

"I'd rather not," Ria repeated.

Hawkeye exchanged a surprised look with her commanding officer. Mustang wasn't accustomed to such blatant objection, especially by a subordinate. The only person who ever denied a request from the Colonel was Fullmetal, and he usually followed up his denial with an amusing insult. This, though, was unheard of from anyone but Fullmetal, and Mustang did not appreciate it.

"It's an order," He retorted, leaning back over the desk.

"I understand, but I still cannot." Her voice sounded empty.

Roy stood up. "This isn't negotiable. I am ordering you to disclose this information to me. I know you must've done something, you transmute without a circle! The only other known alchemist that can do that is Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist! What did you do? You must have committed human transmutation!"

"I DID NOT!" Ria rose quickly to her feet, sending the chair she had been sitting in flying.

"You must have!" Roy shouted.

"I DID NOT PERFORM HUMAN TRANSMUTATION!" The Sin Alchemist's face was full of anger, her eyes blazing with hatred. "I WAS A COMPONENT FOR A TRANSMUTATION! MY FATHER USED ME AS MATERIAL WHEN HE TRIED…."

Tears began to fall down her cheeks as she fell silent. Roy Mustang watched as she sat back down in the chair, feeling guilty for pushing the girl to reveal what she had. A moment later, her face returned to the eerie living doll expression that it normally took, the only difference being the steady trail of tears.

//-//

The East City Train Station was packed with military personnel and civilians all traveling in and out of the city. It was hard to keep from getting pulled apart from one another by the massive crowds. Ed stood on top of his suitcase in the middle of the station, looking for his brother who had managed to disappear.

"How does a seven foot tall suit of armor just melt into thin air?" Ed asked himself, as he shielded his eyes from the light. "Al? Alphonse!"

"Lose something, Chief?" A voice called from behind.

Ed turned quickly, losing his balance as he did. Falling from the suitcase, he crashed down into Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc, sending them both sprawling to the ground. People around them stopped to stare as they scrambled to their feet.

"Havoc, it's you. What are you doing here?" Ed brushed himself off. "And yes, I lost Alphonse."

Jean Havoc was a nice guy, and it pained Ed to see him as apart of the military, and it pained Ed more to see him as one of Mustang's stooges. Peering around Havoc, Ed noticed that his to ever present companions, Heymans Breda and Kain Fuery were standing a few feet away talking to the missing Alphonse. They too were faithful Flame Alchemist stooges, and they were also nice guys. Ed returned his gaze to Havoc, a signature lit cigarette hanging from his mouth.

"Mustang sent us to pick you and Alphonse up, so that way there'd be no delays in you getting to Eastern HQ. He said to tell you that its incredibly important you come there immediately," Havoc leaned over to pick up Ed's suitcase that had been knocked over during their fall.

"Why?" Ed asked, reaching out a hand for his suitcase.

"He said to tell you if you asked, that he had found something to help you with your search," Havoc whispered. "For the you-know-what."

Ed gazed back into the bright eyes of Havoc, and knew exactly of what he was talking. "Alright, let's go."

They moved towards Al, Breda and Fuery, and then towards the awaiting car. Fuery waved and Breda waved them off as they climbed into the car, unable to accompany them due to another important arrival. Sitting in the driver's seat of the car was another Mustang stooge, Vato Falman. He greeted the boys before starting the car.

"So anything happen while we were gone?" Al asked. "We've been away from Headquarters for a month."

"Yeah, actually," Havoc nodded. "They had a special alchemy exam."

"What, why?" Ed asked, leaning in towards Havoc.

"No one was taken on this past year, The Fuehrer President didn't seem to think anyone was talented enough. So when Colonel Mustang told the higher ups that he had found an alchemist that could rival you, they agreed to hold an exam," Havoc explained.

"Mustang found? Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ed scoffed. "Is this so-called-alchemist any good then?"

Havoc nodded. "Actually, even the Fuehrer was raving about how good she was."

"She?" Ed asked. "It's a girl then?"

"Yes," Havoc answered pulling a lighter and cigarette from his pocket. He paused to light up. "Her name is Ria, and they're calling her the Sin Alchemist."

"Yes, Edward. She's going to give you a run for your money from what I've heard. She's the same age as you, plus she doesn't use transmutation circles either," Falman chimed in.

Ed gasped. "She doesn't use circles? You mean she does alchemy like I do?"

Both Havoc and Falman nodded. "She's quite talented, Ed, from what Mustang said." Falman said over his shoulder. "We don't know quite what she does though."

Ed leaned back and turned to Al, who was staring at him.

"Brother do you think…?" Al began.

"Yeah, Al, I do. I think this girl has seen the Truth!"

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**Please read and review. Constructive criticism is welcome, but please be kind.**


	3. Two

**Author's Note:** First off, I'd like to thank my first two reviewers for their reviews. Very much appreciated. Second, please, if you are reading this, leave me a review. Even if it is just, "I liked it," that would be incredibly helpful to know I have more readers. I am hoping to get at least 3-5 more reviews, otherwise, I probably will stop posting this story. So if you like it, again, please review.

The following is the second chapter of my fanfiction. Please, read and review, but be kind. I have alter the timeline of some of the events that are found in both the manga and the anime to suit this story. Also, remember, please, that I have altered some of the facts of FMA, which is why my character can do what she can.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fullmetal Alchemist. I do own Ria Karma.

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**_Fullmetal Alchemist_**

**_-and the-_**

**_Sin Alchemist_**

**-Two-**

The room was dark, but it did not bother Ria. She lay on the cold hard bed inside her room at East City Military Hotel, and stared into the darkness. It had not been her desire to become a state alchemist, but she couldn't have avoided military discovery for much longer. Word had spread quickly about the young girl that was seen in the company of people who had been dead for years. Pressured into explaining who the people were, and why they carried the face of those who were dearly departed, Ria had confessed to her alchemy, not knowing at the time exactly what she had done. The townsfolk, knowing her past, had kept generally quiet about it. Their silence, however, began to fail when those that she had raised from the dead had begun to pass on again after having come into contact with her for a second time. Soon, all travelers that passed through the village learned of the young girl who could raise the dead, and create life on her own; the little girl who played God in her backyard. Word soon trickled down to the ears of those that worked for the military and soon found its way to Colonel Roy Mustang.

He had tracked her down to that small village, and asked her only to perform some alchemy. She obliged him by showing him the same thing she had done later on in her exams. Impressed, but knowing there was more to it all, he had asked her to return to Central Command with him, to take the alchemy exam. She hadn't given him an answer right away, and was only prompted to say yes when a band of mercenaries came through, and attempted to kidnap her. Luckily, the Flame Alchemist had burnt them to a crisp before they could get away with anything more than a damaged garden or two. With her safety at risk if she staid, she agreed to go with him.

Now she lay in the dark in one of the rooms in the military hotel. Colonel Mustang had dismissed her after her outburst in his office with the order that she was to stay put inside of her room. He had sent Hawkeye along with her to make sure that Ria did not leave. At that very moment, Lieutenant Hawkeye stood outside the door, awaiting Second Lieutenant Maria Ross and Sergeant Denny Bloch to take her post. Ria knew already that Hawkeye did not like to be too far away from the Colonel at any given time. Ria had even glimpsed Hawkeye standing outside of the exam room as Colonel Mustang had entered with Basque Grande.

Ria sat up, sighing. Perhaps Mustang thought that Ria had already changed her mind about being a State Alchemist. Maybe he thought she was going to try to run. Whatever the case, Ria had no intentions of leaving. She wasn't stupid enough to leave the ready protection of the military. Outside, she knew word had already spread far and wide about her; another underage state alchemist was interesting news, and Ria was sure that the truth of what her alchemy skills were had already leaked too.

Shifting herself on the bed, she looked towards the solitary window in her room. The night sky was clear, and the stars were bright. The faint light fell in through the window, drowning the room in a ghostly glow. It was a depressing room, or at least she thought it was. Had she not learned to repress her own emotions years ago, she thought, she'd probably be sad just from the room. It didn't surprise her to hear whispers of how she seemed like a living doll. She had been like that for as long as she could remember.

As she lost herself in thought, Ria was pulled back by a sudden commotion outside her door. Getting to her feet, she crossed the room, and pulled open the door. She looked around for the source of the commotion and spotted Hawkeye helping a young officer to his feet. A chair lay a few feet away, overturned; he had obviously tripped over it, sending both it and himself crashing to the ground. Another female officer was reaching down to pick it up, a funny sort of frown on her face, as though she were amused and frustrated at the same time.

"I'm sorry…I'm sorry," The officer was back on his feet, brushing himself off. There was a smudge of dirt across his nose, and his blonde hair was sticking up in the back. "I am sorry, Lieutenant Hawkeye, I didn't see that chair there!"

The other female officer had managed to set the chair back on its legs only to have it collapse again. The back leg of the chair had snapped in the fall, and gave way as soon as it was up straight.

"Look what you did, Bloch, you broke it. I swear you are such a klutz." She placed the chair down on its side, and turned her attention to her companion. "I am sorry for all the commotion, Lt. Hawkeye."

Ria could see that the officer in front of her had dark, short brown hair, and a mole under her left eye. Like Hawkeye, she had a cool demeanor, but a kind heart.

"Oh, Ria, I didn't see you standing there." Hawkeye had finally noticed Ria in the doorway.

The other two gave a squawk, and saluted the newest State Alchemist. Ria waved her hand at them, and turned her attention to Hawkeye without a word. She could see out of the corner of her eye the two officers exchanging a confused look.

"This is Ria Karma, the Sin Alchemist." Hawkeye turned towards them.

The klutzy officer spoke first. "Hello, Miss Sin Alchemist. I am Sergeant Denny Bloch." He gave her a goofy smile that faded quickly under her empty gaze.

"And I am Second Lieutenant Maria Ross," The one with the mole was much more business like. "We are your guard and escorts."

Ria nodded her head slightly, but did not speak. Ross and Bloch both seemed unsure of her, and she preferred to keep it that way.

"Ria," Hawkeye's attention was back on her. "The Colonel wants to see you tomorrow at ten o'clock. Don't forget, and don't be late please." The Lieutenant began to move away from the group. "I will leave you in the care of these two, if you need anything just send one of them to Mustang."

"Yes. Thank you. Good night, Lieutenant." Ria responded, before disappearing back into the room, and shutting the door behind her.

Hawkeye, Ross, and Bloch all watched the door shut and did not speak until they heard a click from the inside.

"She's a bit…unusual, isn't she?" Ross asked the Lieutenant.

"Yes, she is. Make sure you keep your eyes on her, and don't let her out of your sight. Colonel Mustang gave a strict order that she was to be kept under supervision at all times," Hawkeye answered. "Good night."

"Good night," Bloch and Ross called in unison at the retreating back of the Lieutenant.

_//-//_

_CRASH._ "He makes me so mad!"

A waste bin went flying across the small hotel room Edward was sharing with his brother. Its side was imprinted with an exactly replica of the bottom of Ed's left boot, where he had kicked it in his rage. Ed stomped over to the window and peered down into the courtyard below.

"He orders us back here on the drop of a hat, and then when we finally get here, he doesn't even have time to meet us! That's so like him," The dislike in Ed's voice was apparent, but Al was so used to it he didn't even notice anymore.

"Ed, the Colonel can't help it. He's a busy man, and he couldn't have guaranteed what time we would arrive, so he couldn't make all those people wait for us to get there," Al responded nonchalantly, petting the military hotel's pet cat.

Upon arriving at Eastern Headquarters, Ed and Al had forced their way through the crowds of officers, military policemen, and state alchemist to get to Mustang's crowded office. Havoc and Falman had warned them outside of Headquarters that his office would be swamped, as a lot of higher ups were trickling in at all hours of the day to get information on the newest prodigy to join the State Alchemists. After waiting for twenty minutes in the corner, and watching as five different officers of various ranks were denied the privilege of meeting the Sin Alchemist, Ed was starting to feel impatient. Five minutes later, after shouting down the last one that it was an order of not only himself, but also the Fuehrer President, Mustang finally turned his attention to the slightly amused Elric brothers.

"You two are going to have to head to the military hotel, I've already got you a room. I don't have time to meet with you now. I've got to meet with the Investigations department about the murder of Basque Grande," Mustang gathered up a couple of papers and moved away from his desk. "I'll send a message with Hawkeye later, with a time to meet tomorrow."

With that, Mustang had fled the room, chased by subordinates someway in need of him. Now it was nearing the wee hours of the morning, and there had been no sign of Hawkeye or a message from either her or Mustang. Ed pulled away from the window and looked at his younger brother.

"He could've told Havoc that before he sent him to pick us up," Ed argued, wanting to hear Al agree with him, even if it was just an empty agreement to appease him. "No, instead he has Havoc drag us all the way to Headquarters so we could turn around and leave again."

"You should get some sleep, Ed. We'll have to go early to Headquarters since we don't have a time." Al changed the subject with the ease of one who had much practice. "It's late anyway."

Ed sat on the side of his bed, and kicked of his shoes one at a time, all the while grumbling under his breath. "I hate that Flame Bastard. He's such a pompous…"

The clanking of Al's armor as he crossed the room to let the cat out drowned the rest of his words out. Ed watched as his brother coaxed the cat out of the room. He had only just lain back against the pillows when he heard Alphonse give a squeak of surprise.

"Lieutenant Hawkeye!" Ed sat up at his brother's exclamation.

On the other side of the door, stood the weary Lieutenant. Ed scrambled out of his bed as Al stepped aside to let her through. She shut the door behind herself, and smiled down at Edward.

"Lieutenant, what are you doing here?" Ed asked.

"I have a message for you from Roy. I'm sorry to drop in so late. I would've delivered it earlier, but I was on duty somewhere else in the hotel," She answered.

Ed raised an eyebrow. "You were on duty here?"

Hawkeye nodded. "Yes." She gave a reluctant laugh at the curious, but pressing look on Edward's face. "I've been with the Sin Alchemist."

Ed's face lit up with excitement, despite the lateness of the hour. "That's the new State Alchemist, right? She's here? What is she like?"

"You boys are well informed for having been away from East City for so long," Hawkeye was always rather amused by the fact the Elric brothers seemed to know things they weren't supposed to. "Yes, Fullmetal, she's staying down the hall from you…"

Ed cut her off. "Well, great! I'll just go introduce myself. What room is she in?"

Hawkeye's smile faded. "I'm sorry, Ed. Though I would like to ease your curiosity, Colonel Mustang has ordered that she stay in her room tonight, and she is not allowed to receive visitors either." Ed's face fell into anger. "You'll get to meet her tomorrow, Edward. The Colonel wants you to be in his office at ten promptly."

"So when do I get to meet her then?" Ed asked, childishly.

The Lieutenant hesitated. "She'll be waiting to meet you, I suspect, at ten o'clock tomorrow."

Alphonse spoke for the first time since Hawkeye entered their room. "Really? She will?"

Hawkeye nodded. "Don't be late. Now if you'll excuse me, I still have to return to Eastern Headquarters. Good night boys." She paused at the door, resting her hand on the knob. "And Edward, you are not to go visit her. Second Lieutenant Ross and Sergeant Bloch are there and they will deny you entry."

Ed frowned; Hawkeye had known he had still intended to go to looking for the Sin Alchemist's room. Nodding, both he and Al bid her good night and waved as she let herself out, watching her walk away until the door shut. As soon as it clicked, Al locked it. Ed launched himself onto his bed, and thought about the new information they had just received. It was odd, he thought for a State Alchemist to have a guard. The only time any State Alchemist had a guard was when Scar, the notorious Ishbalan murderer who stalked and killed only State Alchemist, was nearby.

"Al." Ed spoke without facing his brother.

"Yes, Brother?"

"Do you think there is something strange about this whole thing?" He couldn't help the suspicious tone in his voice.

Al was in agreement. "Yes. Ed, since when does a new State Alchemist get a guard? She isn't allowed to leave her room, either!"

Ed pulled his hair out its standard braid, and turned to face the wall. He was suddenly very tired, and even his suspicions weren't enough to keep him awake. Pulling the blanket up over his shoulders, he shifted his body to make himself more comfortable.

"Tomorrow, Al, we find out what the deal is with this girl," He yawned. "Agreed?"

"Agreed. But do you think, Ed, that maybe she's what Mustang called us back for?" Al responded.

There was silence in the room.

"Ed?"

It was no use. The Fullmetal Alchemist was sound asleep, his mind too deep into a world where Al was growing up in his own body, their mother was there every day with a smile on her face, and where Ed himself no longer needed to brandish a silver pocket watch.

//-//

Morning came too early for Ria. She lay awake, watching the sun crawl across the floor. It was perhaps seven o'clock, seven-thirty at the latest. She wondered whether or not she could go out and find herself some breakfast, or if she would have to send the Klutz or the Stone to fetch it for her. She had dubbed her guard with these nicknames for two reasons; the first being she was reminded of a stone by the second Lieutenants personality, plus it was obvious that the Sergeant was an utter walking catastrophe. He had managed to wake her up more than once during the night with crashes and cries of 'I'm sorry.' The second reason was simply that she hadn't troubled herself to remember their names. Besides, the names themselves were much nicer than what she had originally thought. It would have been cruel to verbally refer to them as Idiot One and Idiot Two, even though she could probably get away with it. She did outrank them after all.

After a few more moments of random contemplation, she heaved herself into the sitting position, and stretched her arms and legs. She could see the courtyard clearly through her window, and saw it was empty except for a cat sleeping on a stone bench in the sun. The sun was shinning, birds were chirping, and yet Ria did not feel anything. She reached for her clothes that hung on the foot of the bed. She pulled her shirt over her head, and pulled it down. A chunk of her hair was tangled in the strap of her shirt, tugging painfully. She pulled it loose irritably, and grabbed her pants. If she hurried, she though to herself, maybe she could sneak away unnoticed.

A few minutes later, fully dressed, Ria pulled the door open a crack. She spotted Bloch sitting in a chair, his head to the side with a small dribble of drool slipping from his mouth. He was snoring loudly. Ria turned her head to see Maria Ross' head disappearing down the nearby flight of stairs. Now was her chance, she thought. She pushed open the door, just wide enough for her to slip out, and closed it quietly. Her footsteps were barely audible as she made her way past the stairs, and to the door at the end of the hall. In bold letters, it read EMPLOYEES ONLY. Ria pushed the door open, and revealed a separate stairway.

She did not hesitate. She took the stairs two at a time, and pushed through the door at the bottom. She found herself in the middle of an empty lobby. Checking to see if Ross was nearby, Ria made her way to the door. Once outside, Ria took a deep breath and continued down the street to the nearest commissary.

East City was quiet for the early hour. Ria couldn't help but notice the lack of people, civilians and soldiers alike. She passed a person here and there, but didn't offer more than a nod to anyone who acknowledged her. The money in her pocket jingled, as if to scream out 'SPEND ME'. Ria stuck her hand into her pocket to silence it. Even though she had never had this much money at her disposal in her life, it did not mean she was going to spend all of her research grant in one go. Especially on a silly thing like breakfast; the idea was laughable. Stopping in front of a lamppost, the Sin Alchemist looked around for a place to eat. Across the street she spotted a small café where several people sat outside dining on biscuits and tea.

She crossed the street. The café was warm as she stepped inside. A man with white hair stood behind the counter handling a transaction of a small blonde boy with a braid and a red coat. It took her a moment to realize that beside the boy stood a suit of armor.

"Now, enjoy your breakfast boys. I'll send some fresh milk out to you in a moment if you'd like. No charge, it's on the house." She heard the man saying.

"Oh, no, we couldn't accept that. The law of equivalent exchange, you see," The boy in the red waved his hand at the old man. "We did nothing in exchange for the milk."

Ria jumped as the suit of armor giggled. "That, and my older brother doesn't like milk."

"Equivalent Exchange, huh?" The man laughed. "Well, if you insist. Good day, boys."

The Sin Alchemist frowned to herself. Equivalent exchange was a laughable principle, and anyone who believed in it was a fool, Ria thought as the two passed by her. She watched them leave the shop and take a table right near the window, feeling as though there was something wrong with them.

"Can I help you, Miss?" The old man was staring at her now.

Startled, she turned back to him. "Could I get one of whatever's hot, please?"

The old man nodded. As he turned his back to Ria, he called out. "Are you new around here? I've got a sharp memory and I don't recall ever seeing you here before."

"Yes." Ria responded shortly.

"Where are you from?" The old man didn't seem to notice the coldness in Ria's tone.

She felt her annoyance level rise a centimeter. "I am from up in the North Area."

He finally turned back to the counter, holding a steaming cinnamon roll wrapped in wax paper in his hand. "What brings you here?"

Ria flicked her hair back irritably. The man just didn't seem to get it. Reaching for the cinnamon roll, she answered him as rudely as she dared.

"I am not allowed to give out that information. How much?"

Finally, a look of understanding crossed the man's face. "I am sorry, Miss. Five sens."

Ria tossed the money on the counter and turned to go, only to walk into someone.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I-…Sin, is that you?" The person apologized before looking up into Ria's face. "You're not supposed to be out of your room!"

She flinched to find the bright eyes of Kain Fuery. They had met the day before on the way to Mustang's office. His bumbling personality was similar to that of Bloch, but Fuery had every intention of following Mustang's orders, even if they weren't to him.

"Colonel Mustang is going to be furious when he finds out. You do realize that you could be court marshaled for this, right? You disobeyed a direct order from your commanding officer!"

Ria wanted nothing more than for Fuery to shut up before the old baker heard what he was saying. She pushed by Fuery and went out the door. As it swung closed behind her, she heard the old man gasp.

"She's in the military?"

"Yes," Fuery answered. "Excuse me."

He hurried towards Ria, though she continued walking. She kept a distance between them until her legs could take the effort no longer and she slowed.

"Ria, I am going to have to take you back to the hotel." Fuery reached for her arm.

Instinctively, she yanked her arm out of his reach so hard that she fell to the ground. Her cinnamon roll fell out of her hand and rolled away into the bushes. She watched it go as her stomach grumbled. Five sens wasted.

"Let me help you up," Fuery reached for her again, but she stuck her leg out to stop him.

"Don't-touch-me." She breathed icily. "Ever."

Fuery stood back and saluted her. "Yes, Sin Alchemist."

Ria sat up, sighing. She had really wanted that roll. Dusting herself off, she got to her feet. _Chink._ She looked down to see her State Alchemist watch rolling away from her, in the direction of her cinnamon roll. It stopped abruptly at the feet of a man that had just appeared, and he bent to pick it up.

The man was dirty, probably homeless. He had patch over his right eye, and an automail left arm. Okay, so maybe not homeless. He grinned as he mouthed the words inscribed on the front of the watch.

"The Sin Alchemist," He looked up at Ria. "How very interesting."

Fuery stepped in front of her. "Please return that watch to me, Sir. It's is property of a State Alchemist, and to take it is a punishable offense." He reached his hand out to the vagrant for the watch.

"Alright, you can have the watch back, if you offer something in Equivalent Exchange. That's what alchemist's believe in, right? Equivalent Exchange. Something of value equal to this watch," Mr. Vagrant glanced around sarcastically, and then let his eyes land on Ria. "How about the State Alchemist herself?"

At that very moment, Ria had walked over to the embankment where the grass had died and given way to dirt. She clapped her hands and pressed them on to the cold, hard ground. There was a flash of green light, and she stepped back revealing a flesh and blood tiger standing where she had just placed her hands. It growled, and crouched down.

"Give back the watch," Ria said, her voice cold and monotonous.

Fuery jumped back out of the way as the tiger crawled forward, clearly ready to attack. The vagrant was shaking in his boots, frozen with fear, and unable to move his feet from the spot. He turned towards Ria, a petrified look on his face.

"Call it off!" He screeched. "I don't know how the hell you did that, but call it off!"

Ria extended her hand. "The watch."

"Alright, alright!" He tossed the watch to her, and it landed in her palm. "Call it off!"

Ria raised her free hand, and pointed one slender finger at the vagrant. He obviously took at as signal for the tiger to attack, and bolted in the other direction, screaming about wild animals in the middle of East City. As he disappeared from sight, Ria moved back towards the tiger, which was now lying down, licking its huge paws and purring like a kitten. Clapping her hands, she knelt down and pressed them down on the tigers back. Fuery watched, horrified that she dared get that close to the animal.

Closing her eyes, she bit her lip. "I'm sorry," She breathed as she and the giant cat were engulfed in a green flash of light.

When the light had disappeared, there was nothing but a pile of dirt where the tiger had been. Ria paused for a moment, with her head bowed, as though she were praying. When she forced herself to her feet, she turned back to Fuery. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a flash of red. She spotted the boy in the red coat and the suit of armor standing a few feet away. They both looked stunned, and Ria knew that they had just witnessed everything. She turned and headed in the direction of the hotel, with Fuery trailing in her wake.

//-//

Edward watched as the dark haired girl disappeared with Sergeant Fuery. He knew that he had just witnessed a demonstration of the Sin Alchemist's skills, and had every desire to catch up with them, but he could not move his feet. She had noticed him standing nearby, but her face had shown no sign of recognition. She had thought him, obviously, as pedestrian. She knew he was an alchemist, as he had seen her in the café during his exchange with the baker. Other than, she seemed to think of him as nothing of importance, but was perhaps annoyed with the fact that he had witnessed her alchemy.

"Ed, did…did you see that?" Al asked in a hushed whisper.

Ed nodded. "I think, Al, that she was the Sin Alchemist."

There was a gasp from inside of the armor. "If that's her…"

"C'mon Al, we need to catch up to her. I want to talk to her without Mustang around, and this might be our only chance," Ed pushed himself to move.

They followed the Sin Alchemist and Fuery back to the hotel. As Ed and Al made their way in side of the hotel, they watched, as the Sin Alchemist was being frantically ushered upstairs by a flustered looking Maria Ross. The young girl herself was hardly disturbed by the commotion. Her face was completely blank as she took the stairs, and she said nothing to Fuery or Ross. Fuery stood at the bottom of the stairs, watching as the two disappeared around the corner. Turning to go, Fuery's face flushed as he spotted Ed and Al.

"Ed!" Fuery had obviously not noticed Ed until now. "Hello!"

"Oh hello, Serge-BROTHER!" Alphonse raised his arm in greeting, as his older brother made a dash for Fuery.

"Take me to meet her, Fuery." Ed grasped the collar of Fuery's uniform in his hands. "I want to talk to her before Mustang can give any orders."

Fuery stumbled, gasping for air. "I can't, Ed. Mustang's order…"

Ed frowned. "C'mon, Fuery, just get me a few minutes with her."

He gave Fuery a little shake, and watched as the man's expression changed. Fuery gave a gasp, and then pointed behind Edward. Ed tightened his grip on Fuery's collar.

"Now, Fullmetal, why exactly are you choking Sergeant Fuery?" A hand came to rest on Ed's shoulder. "I must ask that you release my subordinate."

Ed shuddered as he released Fuery. Only one person in the world could have that extremely arrogant and condescending voice. Ed turned to come face to face with Roy Mustang, who was smiling pleasantly at Ed's annoyance. Ed stared back at his commanding officer, taking in the dark eyed gaze, and the sheen of his ebony hair.

"Colonel Mustang," Ed spat.

"Settle down, Edward." Mustang began moving towards the stairs. "I've changed our meeting time and place."

Ed rolled his eyes. "Wonderful. To where and when?"  
Mustang began his ascent up the stairs. "The Sin Alchemist's room, and as soon as I am at her door."

Ed rushed to follow Mustang up the stairs, joined by Edward. As they reached the top, Ed noticed that there was a small crowd in the hallway just outside the room at the end of the hall. Breda, Havoc, Falman, Ross, Hawkeye, and Bloch all stood outside the room. In the only chair next to the group, sat the Sin Alchemist herself, her eyes seeing but not seeing. Fuery pushed by Ed to join the group, rubbing his neck where the collar had dug into his skin. The group was silent, and as a single entity they turned to salute Mustang. He waved their salutes away, and walked right to the Sin Alchemist.

Reaching inside of his jacket, he pulled out a small package, wrapped in wax paper. He handed it to the girl, whose eyes suddenly seemed to come to life. She accepted the package, and unwrapped it. Ed stifled a laugh. It was a cinnamon roll.

Mustang turned back to face Ed for a second before speaking. "I heard you lost your breakfast, Ria."

The girl's expression hardened as Mustang's gaze returned to her. "Thank you, Colonel."

Mustang nodded. "Shall we go in?"

Havoc led the way into Ria's room, followed by Mustang. Ria settled herself on the bed, Ed noticed, as soon as she was in the room. The rest of the group formed a circle around the bed, chatting amongst each other. Fuery was shooting Ed an angry look, all the while still rubbing his neck. Mustang, sitting directly across from Ria, held his hand up for silence.

"Now, I want to make this clear right from the beginning. No word of what is spoken here is to be repeated. Ever." Everyone nodded in assent, so he continued. "If you don't know already, this young woman is Ria Karma, the Sin Alchemist. "

She was staring at the wood floors, and hadn't looked up as Mustang spoke. Ed noticed that Mustang was even the least bit perturbed by her actions. In fact, it was as if Mustang chose not to notice them, as he had only made a single reference to her earlier escape. Ed studied her as Mustang began speaking of something that he, Ed, didn't care about. Her onyx colored hair hung in loose waves over her shoulders, framing her profile neatly. He could see that her green eyes had that far away look again, the one that seemed as if she was seeing without actual seeing. It was a vacant, deserted look. Ed wondered if this girl ever smiled. It didn't seem as if she did.

As he resurfaced from his thoughts, he realized that several of the group was filing out of the room; Breda, Ross, Havoc, Bloch, Falman, and Fuery went out into the hall. Ed looked around, and saw that only he, Al, Mustang and Hawkeye remained with the Sin Alchemist. The door shut with a snap, and only then did Ria look up. Her gaze had suddenly changed to a determined look that she directed at Mustang.

"Why are they here?" She jerked her head in Ed's direction.

He felt a bubble of anger rise in his chest. How could she not know who he was? How could she not know of Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist and People's Hero?

Mustang raised an eyebrow. "This is Edward Elric-…."

"I know that." She snapped. "Why are they here?"

So she did know, Ed thought. He looked over at Al, who was watching the interaction between Mustang and Ria. Mustang barely flinched at the girl's harsh tone. Ed was surprised; as far as he knew Mustang had only ever allowed back talk from him. No other subordinate had spoken like that to Mustang.

"Fullmetal has a mission of sorts that you are too accompany him on." Ed's head snapped in Mustang's direction. "I believe you'll be of use to him."

"How so?" Ed turned back to Ria.

It took a minute for Ed to realize Mustang's gaze was on him. "What?" Ed asked.

"I think you ought to tell Ria," He spoke softly, softer than Ed had ever heard that arrogant voice. "Of all people, she will understand. She knows that life isn't just black and white."

Ed stared at his commanding officer. Roy Mustang had never once prompted Ed to tell his story to anyone else. The only mention the Colonel had ever made was to tease Ed into doing his dirty work. Roy nodded encouragingly at him.

"Trust me, Fullmetal."

Ed turned to Ria. Her eyes were hard as they stared back at his. She didn't seem like she'd understand anything, he thought. He looked back questioningly at Mustang. Sensing that Ed didn't believe him, Mustang sighed.

"Fullmetal, I believe you witnessed a bit of her alchemy today, did you not?" Mustang rubbed his eyes as he spoke.

Ed nodded. "Yeah, she made a tiger out of dirt."

"And that in itself didn't seem out of the ordinary too you?" Mustang asked.

"We were kind of far away, Sir," Alphonse spoke up suddenly. "It was obviously a tiger, but it's possible to make something like that with alchemy."

Mustang nodded. "True. But is it possible to make a living, breathing creature with alchemy?"

Ed stared at Mustang. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, Edward," The Colonel explained, "That the tiger you saw today was a flesh and blood animal, a living and breathing creature with blood running through it's veins. I'd wager…." He paused. "I'd wager it even had a soul."

"What?!" Both Elric brothers shouted.

Ria gave an impatient snort. "I can perform human transmutations without getting called to the Gate. I can create life out of nothing, and I can take it away as well." Her eyes snapped back to Mustang. "Why couldn't you just say that?"

The anger in her voice was apparent, and Ed guessed that she was getting uncomfortable with the talk going on. She seemed to want to shift the conversation away from herself. Mustang merely looked at her, an eyebrow raised. Ed was still surprised he hadn't snapped his fingers and burnt the girl to a crisp. He felt defensive towards his commanding officer for a brief second. Who was this girl, and why did Mustang just let her anger fly?

"Ed, tell her your story," Mustang said again. "Please."

Edward Elric turned to his brother, who nodded. Scrunching down in his seat, Ed took a deep breath, and launched into the story of their mother, Al's empty armor, and his last four years as a dog of the military. Her eyes maintained a hard stare, but Ed could tell she was taking in every single word, pause, and emotion that went with his story. Mustang shifted in his chair every once in a while, hearing some details for this first time. Ed pressed on, ignoring everything but the look in Ria's eyes. At one point, when he had described the loss of his mother, he could've sworn he'd seen a gleam of sorrow in those green eyes. If he had, it was gone in a flash. As he finished, he looked away from her to Mustang.

The Colonel looked at Ria. "So, now you know their story, and I know you understand why I think you can help them."

She kept her gaze on Ed. "That's why you got me in to take the exam, isn't it? So I could help these two?"

Mustang was silent.

"You're a fool, Mustang," She finally looked over at the Colonel. "A stupid, caring fool."

"Will you go?" He asked.

She hauled herself off the bed, and landed with a thud on the floor. She looked down at Mustang.

"I'll go, but I make no promises. I don't believe in Equivalent Exchange, Colonel, I'm only in this for myself."

She tossed the wax paper package back at him. The cinnamon roll was still intact, but cold.

"I'll get my own damn breakfast." She called as she walked to the door and threw it open. A moment later she had disappeared.

Mustang laughed softly, as he looked down at the package in his hands. He lifted it to his mouth, and took a bite. Rising, he motioned to for Hawkeye to follow him.

"When the Sin Alchemist decides to return, you can head out," Mustang turned to Ed, and then to Al. "I pity you, Alphonse. Fullmetal and Sin are quite alike."

With that, Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Hawkeye swept from the room, leaving a stunned Ed and Al to await the return of the Sin Alchemist.


	4. Three

**Author's Note: **I'd like to say thank you to my reviewers. I appreciate every single review I get. I have quite a bit written for the FMA&the Sin Alchemist, which is why I'm posting every few days. As much as I'd like to keep this going, I probably won't have any updates until early or mid next week, since I have to work at an agricultural fair this weekend. Exciting, trust me.

Again, I would also like to ask, if you read the story, please review. It's nice to know I have readers out there, so even a simple "I liked it," would be appreciated. I was hoping to get at least five more reviews for this chapter.

The following is the third chapter of my fanfiction. Please, read and review, but be kind. I have altered the timeline of some of the events that are found in both the manga and the anime to suit this story. Also, remember, please, that I have altered some of the facts of FMA, which is why my character can do what she can.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own FMA. I do own Ria Karma.

**_

* * *

_**

**_Fullmetal Alchemist_**

**_-and the-_**

**_Sin Alchemist_**

**-Three-**

Mustang had given one last order before Ria, Ed, and Al had left. When in crowded areas, Ria was to cover herself to avoid recognition. So as they waited to board their train in the East City Train Station, she found herself wearing Edward's red coat. The hood was pulled up and hung low over her face. Ed and Al flanked her, like a pair of mismatched bodyguards. She could see in her peripheral vision that people were staring at the three of them.

"Are you alright, Ria?" She felt a giant metal hand grip her shoulder gently.

"Yes." She nodded.

For an empty suit of armor, Alphonse Elric was far more human than many people Ria had met in her lifetime. Even his touch as armor was gentle, something Ria was not used to at all. She let his hand remain on his shoulder. Edward was standing on her other side, watching the crowd. He had hardly spoken since she had returned to the hotel. He had passed on Mustang's order to her, and told her that they were leaving as soon as she was packed. As they went down to meet Falman who was going to drive them to the station, she told Al she had nothing to cover herself with. A moment later, Edward had tossed his red jacket at her.

"Don't ruin it," was the last thing he had said.

That had been over an hour ago, and since then Al had kept up a stream of one side conversation and observations. She noticed Ed nodded accordingly with every pause, but he didn't reply. Ria herself only spoke when Al made a direct indication to her, other than that, she stood as still as possible with out a word passing her lips.

"C'mon, our train is here," Ed said suddenly, startling Ria.

She looked at him. His golden eyes stared back at her with such intensity that she turned away. In her mind's eye, she could see his blonde hair framing his face, giving him a youthful look. The signature braid Ed wore was hanging over his shoulder. He was wearing his usual outfit, including his white gloves to hide his automail. One day, she thought, I'd like to see his arm. She felt Ed grip her wrist and pull her along with him, without giving her a chance to protest at his touch. She had to run to keep up. Though he was short, Ed moved with long strides. There was a constant clanking sound behind them, and she knew Al was following.

Once on the train, Ria found she was sitting next to Al. Edward was sitting across from them, digging through his suitcase. A moment later, he pulled out a small notebook and a pen, and then focused his attention on jotting things inside it. Al sighed at the sight of his brother, before turning to Ria.

"Are you comfortable, Ria? I know you can't take off Ed's coat, but-…" Al's voice trailed off, as she looked up at him.

"I'm fine," She answered softly. "Thank you, Al."

She reached up a hand, and pulled the hood down lower over her eyes. She leaned up against the window, and sighed. A moment later, she felt herself drifting to the realm of dreams where she always found herself with a happy family, and she had learned alchemy as a hobby. Dreams, she thought as the darkness enveloped her, were always better than real life.

"Ed, I think she's asleep."

Edward looked over at the hooded figure across from him. There was no movement from underneath the jacket, nor any sounds. There hadn't been for several hours. Ed turned his gaze to his brother, and choked on a laugh. Alphonse was looking down at the Sin Alchemist with the same aura Ed always felt when Al found a stray cat.

"No, Al, we can't keep her," Ed joked. "We can't give her a home as we don't have one ourselves."

Al gave an embarrassed giggle, and scratched his armor head. "Brother, I was just thinking. She looks so sad. I wonder why."

Ed snorted derisively. "She didn't look that sad in the hotel room with Mustang…." He fell silent, feeling slightly guilty. He had noticed that even when she had carried that distant look on her face, it still radiated with a bitter sadness that Ed could not understand. "Speaking of Mustang, I wonder why he let her talk to him like that. She wasn't even doing it jokingly. She meant everything she said. He just sat there and took it."

"Brother, we both know that Mustang has reasons for doing everything," Al responded. "I think he knows more about her than we do."

Ed nodded. "Mustang does have that habit."

"Where are we headed, Brother?" Al asked.

Their conversation had finally turned from the Sin Alchemist, and Ed felt himself relieved. Ever since he had told the girl their story, he'd felt a rush of anger towards her. Her response had been cold, and he wondered if she would stay true to her words of being only for herself. How could they rely on someone like that? Still, Ed felt it prudent to allow the girl to prove herself before he shunned her completely. Besides that, he could tell Alphonse quite liked the girl, and wouldn't allow Ed to just push her away.

"Xenotime," Ed answered. "I want to look up the Tringhams."

Al's bright glowing red orbs that served as eyes stared at Edward. "Why?"

Ed shook his head. "I don't know. I just have a feeling we should go there."

They both jumped suddenly as the red lump in the corner moved. A moment later, a hand reached out and pulled the hood away, revealing a red-faced Ria. Her eyes were barely open, but she managed to shrug off the coat, and push it towards Alphonse.

"Too hot," She murmured, before sinking back into sleep.

Al gave a little cry and turned to Ed. "She's not supposed to take off the coat!"

Ed looked around. The train was emptier than when they had first gotten on. Most of the remaining passengers were at the other end of the car, and all of them seemed pretty harmless. Ed reached over and snatched his coat back from Alphonse.

"She's fine. No one's going to notice her," He said, examining the folds of fabric for anything that had been there before. "Besides, we're the last stop."

He folded his jacket neatly, and placed it on one side of the bench. Laying his head down upon it, he stifled a yawn.

"I think I'll sleep too, Al," The yawn escaped his lips. "There's my spare shirt in the suitcase, should anyone come close. Throw it over her if you have too."

"Alright, Brother."

Soon, Al found himself alone, watching over possibly two of the most famous State Alchemists to have ever been discovered.

//-//

The green eyes of the Sin Alchemist snapped open. The train had begun to slow, and it occasionally gave a strong jerk. As her eyes came into focus, she could see the Fullmetal Alchemist was asleep on the bench across from her. The jerking of the train only served to rock Edward into a deeper sleep. Perhaps riding on trains so often had given Ed the ability to sleep through any jerks, bumps, or tosses, Ria thought. She watched as Alphonse reached out a hand to shake his brother awake.

"Brother, we're here."

Edward's eyes opened, and he turned towards Ria. She stared back at him with an empty stare. He sat up, and tossed his coat back at Ria. It landed in her lap, and she looked down on it.

"Put it on. We don't know who will be waiting in Xenotime," Ed instructed, getting to his feet.

Even though it was dark outside, Ria pulled the coat over her shoulders, and pulled the hood up over her head. She reached under the bench and pulled her small knapsack up and threw that over her shoulder as well. Ed watched her, and then nodded for her to follow him. Alphonse followed behind. They descended the stairs of the train, and moved through the stop station.

Ria saw at once that there were no people moving around at all. That meant it was a late hour. She turned to Alphonse, looking for a reasonably polite answer to the only question she had.

"Al, what are we doing here?" Her voice came out soft, as she fell back to walk in step with the suit of armor.

She saw Edward's head turn slightly, as if he was listening in on the conversation. He remained silent, as he led the way through the small town. Ria realized that she had overheard one of them say Xenotime during her moments of light sleep. She knew Xenotime had been a gold mining town that had once been successful, but since the Fullmetal Alchemist had been through, its major export had become fruit.

"We're looking for some people. Brother thinks they might be able to help us," Alphonse responded.

Ria nodded. After a few minutes, they arrived in front of a small house that was surrounded by acres of fruit trees. She felt Al's hand on her head, and suddenly she was looking down at her feet. The pressure had caused her head to bow. She heard Ed's footsteps as he walked up to the door, and the heavy knock of his automail arm against the door. After a few moments of silence, she heard the door open.

"Well, Mr. Elric," A deep voice said. "What a surprise. Tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure of this late visit?"

Ed's voice was much more pleasant than she had heard before. "I'm looking for Russell and Fletcher, Belsio. Any idea where they are?"

The man called Belsio gave a deep laugh. "You've come to the right place. They've been staying here since you destroyed the Red Water." There was a pause, and the sound of shifting weight. "Come in, and I'll go get them for you."

Alphonse's hand guided Ria inside of the house. She felt a rush of warmth as she stepped inside, and sincerely wished she could remove the coat. Until Edward gave the say-so, it wasn't possible; she was stuck. She heard the door shut, and two steps of footsteps moving away from them. After a few minutes of complete silence, Ria was feeling hot and confused. Taking the chance since no one was around, she looked up Al.

"Alphonse, what's going on?" She asked.

"Ed went upstairs with Belsio to see the Tringham Brothers. When he comes down again, I'll ask if you can take off the coat," Al responded.

Ria nodded, and dropped her head again. She gave a nearly inaudible sigh as the silence fell between them again. Her neck was starting to ache from looking down; she wished Edward would hurry up. After a few moments, the silence was broken by the sound of many footsteps from above them. There was a creak, and then the sound of descending steps and voices. The voices drew closer, until Ria could see three sets of feet coming to a stop in front of her and Al.

"Hello, Alphonse," a new voice greeted Al. "Who's this with you, Ed?"

Al made a funny noise as his brother spoke. "Have you guys been hearing any news from East City?"

There was a pause, and then the first deep voice spoke. "There was a bit of news a while back…something about a new State Alchemist with very unusual skills. It was said that the new alchemist could rival the one and only Edward Elric, the people's hero."

At the last comment, Ed gave an involuntary derisive laugh. "Take off the coat, Ria."

Ria pulled off Ed's coat, balled it up in her hands, and threw it hard at the Fullmetal Alchemist. He caught it in his hands with a mildly surprised look on his face. She shot him a final look, before turning to examine the two men on the side of him. One had dark black hair, a single loose curl falling into his dark eyes. The other was a dirty blonde with brown eyes. He towered over Ed, but Ria had a feeling that he was very close to her own age.

"Ria, this is Belsio…" The man named Belsio nodded. "And this is Russell Tringham…" Russell gave a short, confused wave. "Russell, Belsio, this is Ria Karma, the Sin Alchemist."

"Well, Ed, is this the only way you can meet women? Have your commanding officer hook you up with one on a mission?" Russell teased. "I mean, you are so short, you must have a hard time meeting women of your…stature…."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SHORT LIKE AN ANT THAT YOU SQUISH?" Ed screeched.

As Ed continued to rant about his height, Ria sighed. She had never said anything, but it didn't seem to take much to be taller than Ed. In fact, Ria had at least an inch on him, maybe two. Finally, Ed's rant died out, and he turned to Russell, still fuming.

"Look Russell, we have a reason for searching you and Fletcher out, but it can wait until tomorrow. There are a lot of details we need to go over, and now is not the time." Ed turned to Belsio. "Do you think we could stay?"

"Sure, if you don't mind sleeping on our couch. I think it would be better if Miss Karma gets the spare bed," Belsio responded. "As she is the only female at this residence."

Ed nodded, and waved Russell good night. He and Al both retired to the living room without so much as word to Ria. Russell looked down at the girl in front of him, noting it did not seem to bother her that Ed had completely ignored her.

"You two don't get along?" Russell asked.

Ria looked away. "You could say that."

Belsio shot a look at Russell. "You should get some sleep, Russell, who knows what Elric has in store for you tomorrow. I'll escort Miss Karma to the guest room."

At this, Russell bid her good night and disappeared back up stairs. She followed Belsio to a small room in the back of the house. Inside of it were a small bed and a dresser.

"Rest easily, Miss Karma. No danger will come to you in this house," Belsio said, cryptically.

Ria spun around to look at him. He had a kind smile on his face, but the choice of words was eerie. Or was there already known danger to her that she had yet to learn of? Bidding Belsio good night, she shut the door. After slipping out of her clothes, and pulling on a loose sleep shirt, she crawled into the bed. She wouldn't sleep; she had slept to long on the train. Instead she pulled the blankets up to her chin, and watched the closed door until daybreak, when she finally released herself into her better, happier dream life.

//-//

For a walking, empty suit of armor, Alphonse Elric seemed to disappear a lot. Edward stomped around Belsio's house looking for his younger brother, who had vanished while Ed was in the bathroom. Ed felt the bubble of anger that had been in his chest since the previous day had grown bigger, know that it seemed Alphonse was even acting up. As he turned the corner to the back of the house, Edward spotted Alphonse standing in a doorway.

"Al?" Ed called.

His younger brother gave a startled jump, and turned towards his brother, pulling the door behind him closed.

"Oh, hello, Brother," He greeted Ed nervously.

"What were you looking at, Al?" Ed stared up at Alphonse suspiciously.

Al shook his head. "Oh nothing."

Not buying Al's excuse, Ed pushed past his younger brother, and opened the door. The first thing he saw was a tangled mass of black hair spread across a single white pillow. It took him a moment to realize that he was staring down at the sleeping Sin Alchemist, who he had never seen look peaceful. There was a tiny smile on her lips as she breathed deeply; she was obviously content with whatever dream world she was in. Ed stepped back out of the room and closed the door. Al stood behind him, seemingly embarrassed to be caught staring at Ria.

Ed sighed. "I don't want to know. Let's go, Russell and Fletcher are waiting for us in the kitchen. We'll let Ria sleep and we'll fill her in on the details later."

Russell and Fletcher Tringham were sitting at the table, each with an orange in their hands. Fletcher was Russell's younger, more placid brother. As he saw Ed and Al walk in, a wide smile appeared and he waved.

"Hi!"

Russell smiled at his younger brother, and then turned to look past Ed out into the hall. "Ria isn't joining us?" He asked curiously.

Ed stared at Russell. "She's sleeping still. Al and I will tell her everything later." He couldn't help but notice that Russell was looking disappointed by this news. Suddenly, a thought hit him. His eyes narrowed as he looked at the older Tringham brother. "You think she's pretty, don't you?" He asked, accusingly.

Russell blushed. "Well, Ed, just because you haven't noticed, let me fill you in on something. That girl you are traveling with is quite attractive. Not that it matters for you anyway, I'm sure Ria only likes tall guys."

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT THAT YOU'D FIND A NEEDLE IN A HAYSTACK BEFORE YOU FOUND HIM?"

Ed's traditional outburst was followed by laughter from everyone around the table.

"Ed, where do you come up with this things? And besides, that's not what I said. I was only pointing out that some one like Ria is naturally bound to find-…." Russell found himself cut off by an angry glare from the older Elric.

"What would you know about her anyway, Russell? Never mind. This isn't what we're here for. Can we get back to the point please?" Ed snapped, his face flushing with anger.

His eyes fell on Fletcher. Even if Russell lied in his answer to Ed's next question, Fletcher's face would give the honest answer away instantly. Fletcher, like Alphonse, was too kind hearted to lie.

"I think it's safe to assume you haven't given up completely on your father's research, right?" He asked.

Russell smiled. "You are good, Edward. We hadn't given up on it completely, until a few weeks ago."

Ed looked between the Tringham brothers. "Up until a few weeks ago?"

Fletcher nodded. "Some one broke into this house, and stole a good amount of money, some of Belsio's family heirlooms, and all of our father's notes."

"There isn't any leads as to who did it, we think it was a random robbery. One of Belsio's heirlooms turned up in Central just last week, but nothing else has surfaced," Russell continued.

Ed shuddered. Some one now had notes on how to create the deadly Red Water that had already taken so many innocent lives. Resting his chin on his right hand, Ed turned to Alphonse.

"That's not good. I'll have to write Mustang a report about this."

"Definitely." Al agreed.

Russell cleared his throat. "Ed, there's more."

The Fullmetal Alchemist's head jerked towards the elder Tringham brother. "More?"

"Before the break in, we had managed to create a proto-type Philosopher's Stone out of the Red Water." Russell paused. "They also took that with them."

Ed inhaled sharply. There was no telling what destruction someone could wreak with even a prototype stone. It still had strong alchemic powers. He rose to his feet, breaking off all conversation. Fletcher stared up at Ed, a frightened look on his face.

"Thanks Russell, I think we've got what we need. Is it alright if I use your phone?" Ed spoke calmly.

Russell nodded and led him to the phone. After making sure everyone else was out hearing, he dialed his least favorite number in the world.

"Mustang."

"Hey, Colonel. I've got something you need to know." Ed said, softly. He could hear Belsio moving towards the stairs on the floor above him.

"What is it Fullmetal? It's not Sin is it?" Mustang's voice suddenly became worried.

Ed couldn't help but think it was odd that the first thing out Mustang's voice was concern for the Sin Alchemist. Usually he was composed, and withdrawn.

"No, Ria's fine. It's about the Red Water from Xenotime."

"Oh. What about it?" Mustang sounded relieved.

"There was a break in to a house a few weeks ago. The bandit or whoever it was made of with some money, some personal items, and notes on the Red Water done by Nash Tringham. Plus, there was a prototype stone with it all."

Mustang's end was silent for a moment, except for the rustling of papers. "Alright, Fullmetal, if I hear anything I'll let you know." He barely showed any concern, which irritated the already confused Fullmetal Alchemist.

"Can I ask you something, Colonel?" Ed spat into the phone. "What's the deal with you and Ria anyway?"

Again there was a moment of silence. Finally, Mustang spoke with such arrogance that if Ed had been in front of him, rather than on the phone, he would have punched him.

"That, Edward, is none of your concern. I'll let you know if I hear anything on the fake stone."

As Edward inhaled, about to unleash his fury on the Colonel, he heard a click. The line had gone dead.

//-//

The sun was high in the sky by the time the Sin Alchemist surfaced from her dream world. She sat up, her long hair falling over her right shoulder. She wondered vaguely why no one had woken her.

"Maybe they left me," She whispered, amused at the thought.

Just as that pleasant thought crossed her mind, there was a knock on the door. It opened a crack, and Ria could see Edward standing on the other side. He was dressed, but not in his typical outfit. He wore a black button up shirt over his trademark black pants. His hair was hung loose down his back; he had obviously not bothered to braid it yet. He pushed the door open further, eyeing her as he did it.

"Can I come in?" He spoke in a whisper almost, but his voice carried to her ears.

She nodded, and he crossed through the doorway. She looked down at his feet and noticed that he didn't have his shoes on yet. She saw his right foot, a flesh and blood appendage, and then her eyes fell on his left. The cold steel glinted in the sun; she could tell it functioned like a normal foot. She looked up to see that Ed was looking slightly uncomfortable.

"Sorry." She responded. "I've never seen automail up close before."

Ed drew closer, and lifted his leg up onto the edge of the bed. He rolled his pant leg up, and held it in place. His gaze fell onto Ria. She looked at him for a moment, before staring down at his leg.

"They don't have automail where you come from?" Ed asked. "You can touch it-I mean, if you want too." He had watched Ria hesitantly reach her hand out and then pull it back quickly.

"Automail is expensive, and my home village isn't a very rich one. If you could afford automail, you could move down to the valley, where the rich people were. Even there it was extremely rare. I think I saw it only once or twice." She pressed her hand against Ed's leg; the steel was cold against her palm.

He did not speak as she ran her hand over the ridges and bolts of his leg. An odd thought floated into his mind, one that hardly ever crossed it; he wished for nothing more than the ability to feel her hand against his skin. Then he realized that perhaps if he had his leg in the flesh, she wouldn't be touching him at all; in truth, he would never have met her if it were. He hesitated before breaking the silence between them; he didn't really want Ria to pull away, but he knew as soon as he spoke, she would cease to be as she was; open and responsive.

"Ria," He began, watching her hand drop and recede under the blankets. "I was thinking. I owe you an apology, I haven't been very pleasant with you."

Ria kept her eyes on him. She knew Ed wasn't a bad person, but she had never really been pleasant with him either. She couldn't help but feel that if Mustang had allowed them time to meet without all the hush-hush and bad feelings, they would have been able to get along better. Instead, after practically forcing Ed to tell his story, and pushing her to accept a mission that deviated from her own twisted path, they had clashed. She hadn't truly felt like opening up to Edward until that very moment, and slowly, very, very slowly, she was breaking down her wall she had put between them.

"Don't apologize," She said, softly. Her eyes trailed from his face to his arm. "Really."

Ed raised an eyebrow, but ceased his apology. He watched as her eyes moved towards his arm. Releasing his pant leg, he unbuttoned the sleeve on his right arm, and pulled it upward. He extended his hand towards her, with a goofy smile on his face. The uneasiness that he had felt just minutes ago evaporated. She wasn't disturbed by his automail at all. In fact, she seemed to find it interesting.

The peace between them was broken by a knock on the door. Ria pulled away, and stared at the wall, her face empty and her eyes dim. Ed was feeling irritated at whoever had interrupted them. He turned towards the door to find Belsio staring in at them. The older man wasn't bothered by the image before him.

"Ed, we're heading out to the fields. Once you've finished getting ready, there's a bag at the door for you," Belsio said. He glanced at Ria, and then back at Ed's irritated face. "I'm sorry for interrupting you two, but you did promise."

"I did. Equivalent exchange." Ed nodded.

As Belsio retreated from the room, Ed turned back to Ria. She was staring at him, her eyes seemed alive suddenly.

"I promised Belsio that since he let us stay the night, I would help him in the fruit fields for a while," Ed answered, a rush of embarrassment returning to him. "You don't have too, though. You might want to spend the day here and rest, actually. We've got a long journey ahead of us."

She nodded. "Alright."

"When I get back, Al and I will fill you in on the details of what we talked about with Russell and Fletcher," Ed backed away towards the door. "Fletcher left you some bread and fruit on the table, when you get hungry."

He turned, and hurried from the room, pulling the door closed as he went. Ria watched it shut. Perhaps she had let Ed get too close. She sighed, promising herself that she would wait a while before opening up to Ed again. She pushed back the blanket, and pulled her knees up to her chest. She felt her left leg begin to itch from something in the fabric of the blanket. She pulled the offending piece away, and examined her leg. She frowned. The skin of her leg was a creamy pale white, punctuated by twenty or twenty-five faded purple scars. The scars were steadily increasing in number and slowly crawling upwards on her leg. The top slash wasn't a scar quite yet; it was still fresh, and at the slightest amount of pressure it would bleed. She rubbed her fingers against her leg, trying to alleviate the itch with the pads of her fingers. A moment later, she pulled the blanket back over her legs. That, she decided, she would never show anyone if she could help it.

She made the scars; by a small pocketknife she kept with her always. The newest one had been made less than a day ago. It was her own method of keeping track of her sins, and in a way offering penance up for them. It relieved her of some of the guilt she carried around daily.

Reaching for her clothes, Ria decided to follow Ed down to the fields after she had eaten. Hopefully, Ed wouldn't mind.

//-//

Edward Elric had never felt so humiliated in his life. Russell and Fletcher were looking up at him, laughing. He had had the brilliant idea to climb up onto one of the branches to reach the higher fruits. In doing so, he managed to slip, and catch his automail leg in a twist of branches. Now he was hanging upside down like some stupid monkey. No one had bothered to help him down yet, preferring instead to laugh at him.

"Hello, a little help here?" He snapped.

While Russell continued to laugh, Fletcher moved towards the tree. Producing a small piece of chalk from his pocket, he drew a transmutation circle on the trunk, and pressed his hand to it. The Fullmetal Alchemist watched as his foot was released. He tumbled to the ground, landing with his legs near his ears. He blinked a few times feeling disoriented, as Russell fell to the ground beside him, howling with laughter. At least, he thought, Ria didn't see his lack of grace when in free fall.

Ed got to his feet and searched around for the bag with his picked fruit. It was a few feet away on its side. Fruit was tumbling out of it, and he could see some was bruised from the fall.

"Oh, give it a rest Russell," Ed snapped irritably.

"Very smooth, Edward. You were kind of like a bird for a moment…and then you landed," Russell laughed.

Ignoring him, Ed gathered his fruit back into the bag, tossing the bruised ones to the side for the wild animals. Hoisting the bag back on to his shoulder, he looked over at Russell, whose laughter had ceased. The elder Tringham was staring off into the distance, with a pleased look on his face. Russell waved his hand in greeting. Ed turned curious to know at whom Russell was waving. Too his surprise, he spotted Ria moving towards them. Once she had drawn close to them, Russell clamored towards her.

"Hello, Ria. What brings you out here?" He asked.

Ed felt a twinge of jealousy as Ria turned her head towards Russell. It evaporated, as he looked Ria over. Her hair was pulled up in a ponytail that fell between her shoulders. She was wearing his red coat wrapped tightly around her, even though it wasn't cold out. He could see that as she gazed at Russell her eyes were empty, and when she finally answered him, it was with her monotonous cold tone.

"I came to find Edward." She paused. "Would you excuse us?"

Russell, frowning slightly, nodded and motioned for Fletcher to follow. Once they were out of earshot, Ria moved closer to Ed. He could see a transmutation circle pendant that she wore around her neck raising and falling in sync with her breathing. Shaking his head a bit, he looked up at her.

"Something wrong?" He asked.

"Are you alright?" She asked, her voice soft.

He shrugged. "Why do you ask?"

Her eyes flicked to the transmutation circle on the tree, and back. "I saw you fall."

Ed felt his face heat up. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a little fall was all." He reached out a hand to touch his coat that she wore, but stopped when she stepped back to avoid his touch. "Were you cold?"

"A little. I hope you don't mind," She answered.

The Fullmetal Alchemist shook his head. "It's fine. Have you seen Alphonse, by the way? He disappeared over an hour ago."

"No." She answered, shaking her head.

"Are we interrupting anything?" A deep voice asked.

Ed turned to see Belsio, Fletcher and Russell all standing a few feet away, their fruit bags in tow. Ria's face had gone resolutely blank in that quick second he looked away.

"No, nothing. Are you heading back?" He answered.

"Yes," Belsio replied, his dark eyes wandering over the Sin Alchemist. "We have to go the barn to store the fruit for the night."

Ed frowned and looked to Ria. "Shall we?"

She inclined her head slightly, turned, and headed back towards the house on her own. Ed watched her go, before shifting the bag on his shoulder. Belsio, Russell and Fletcher were all watching the retreating figure of the Sin Alchemist as well.

"She's an odd one, don't you think, Edward?" Belsio was looking at Ed expectantly, as if he could explain the weird behavior of his traveling companion.

Shrugging, Ed followed Ria's footsteps. He wanted to catch up to her, but she was too far ahead of him. As he turned to corner to the barn, he spotted a speck of red heading down the dirt road into the center of the village. He didn't call out to her, expecting that Ria needed to be alone. Hopefully she wouldn't get into any trouble.

"At least she has the coat," He murmured, as the others caught up with him. "I wonder where Al is."

Belsio led them to the barn, pulling out a ring of keys as he went. The older man fiddled with the lock for a moment, before there was a click and it fell away. The doors swung open, as Ed burst into laughter. The younger Elric brother was sitting on a pile of hay, surrounded by kittens, all meowing and climbing over the suit over armor. Alphonse looked up, and giggled.

"Look, Ed! Aren't they cute? I named this one Little Ria!" He held out a black kitten.

The kitten didn't struggle in Alphonse's giant hand. It was still and it looked up at Ed with a distant look in its eyes. Surprising even himself, Ed reached out for the kitten. Holding it up to his face, he studied the expression in the kitten's eyes. It reached out a small paw and pressed it against Ed's cheek. He smiled; the kitten's name suited it perfectly. He held the kitten close, petting it gently.

"Can we keep it, Ed?" Al asked, noticing his brother's pleased reaction to the small black ball of fluff in his arms. "Please?"

Ed turned to his brother, intending to tell him the same thing that he always said, but he stopped as the kitten meowed, and nestled itself closer to the Fullmetal Alchemist.

"You know what, Al. I think we will," Ed smiled down at his younger brother.

What harm could a kitten be?

//-//

_Click... Click... Click._ Ria opened and closed her State Alchemist watch over and over, avoiding the image inside. Sighing, she opened it again, and focused on the picture inside. It was a photo of a small family. A red haired man was just visible underneath a scrawl of black ink. He was waving at the camera, one arm around his smiling black haired wife. Their small daughter held on to her mother, a bright smile on her face, her eyes bright and alive. Ria smiled down at her three year old self that was forever holding on to the one person who had loved her. Her eyes moved to the words covering the man's face. "I will be with you again," it read. Ria's smile faded; she snapped the watch shut, and shoved it into the pocket of Ed's jacket. She generally tried to avoid those sad memories, as they often led to the memories she couldn't repress no matter how hard she tried.

It had been at least an hour since she had left Belsio's farm. No one had come searching for her, so she wasn't going to rush back. They must have understood she needed time alone. Since she had returned to East City after receiving her results, people had surrounded her constantly. Up until then, she was used to being alone. It was weird to have so many people want to be around her. Even at night, at the hotel, Bloch and Ross had guarded her, so she wasn't really alone.

At that moment, as she sat at a small table outside of the local tavern, she was perfectly alone. Part of the reason that she was alone was due to the fact that she didn't look particularly inviting. She had the hood of Ed's coat pulled up over her head, and she didn't watch her surroundings. People passing by slowed to stare down at her. Most of the villagers recognized the coat as the Fullmetal Alchemist's, but they did not know the face staring out from under it. Not that it mattered. Let them wonder who was in Edward Elric's coat. The less they knew, the better. She smiled down at the white gloves sitting beside her drink on the table. She had found them in Ed's pockets earlier. He had obviously not wanted to get them dirty. Safely out of the way of the farm, she had pulled them out and slipped them on; curious to know whether or not they fit. They fit perfectly, wrapping around her fingers and palm leaving enough room so she could move. Since then, she had placed them on the table to glance down at them every so often.

After she had tried on the gloves, she hadn't been able to keep her thoughts away from the Elric brothers, particularly Edward. Their encounter earlier that day hadn't been far from her mind. She could feel the cold steel of Edward's leg beneath her fingertips. She had heard tales of how painful automail surgery and rehabilitation were, and it was extremely unusual for children to have it. Ed had received his automail almost four years earlier, but unlike most people with the prosthetics, he functioned like it was apart of him. The only hint that was ever given about Ed's unusualness was the white gloves.

Ed's personality had done a complete turn around since the night before. He had been as withdrawn as she was, if not completely rude. She still hadn't been completely open with him that morning, but considering the previous day, she had been responsive and polite. Ria frowned to herself. The only person she had been expressive with in a long while was the irritable Mustang. She wondered if Ed had picked up on her different approach to Mustang. Taking a sip of her lemonade, she nodded to herself. He had to have noticed; Ed was a sharp person. She should explain to Ed why she was different with the Colonel. Though Roy Mustang had come right out and asked her about her past, she had known instantly that he knew more than he was letting on. He held that over her head, just as he held Ed's secret over the Fullmetal Alchemist. She truly hated Mustang, because he was preventing her from reaching her goal. Though he hadn't quite worked out what exactly that goal was, the Flame Alchemist knew he was stopping her.

Ria had never told anyone about her goal; she knew that if anyone ever found out exactly how twisted it was-.

"Edward?" A voice asked from behind her. She knew that voice….

She turned and looked up into the face of Sergeant Denny Bloch. He jumped to see her face peering back at him from underneath the hood.

"Ria! Why-why are you wearing Ed's coat?" He asked.

Ria grabbed Ed's gloves off the table and stuffed them back into the pocket beside her watch. "Mustang's order."

He nodded, and then looked away. "Hey, Lieutenant Ross! Over here!"

A moment later, Maria Ross was standing beside him. She looked down at Ria and gasped. "Ria! For a moment there, I thought you were Edward. Why do you have his coat?"

"I asked, she said it was Mustang's order," Bloch answered for her.

Maria nodded, looking slightly relieved. "At least we found one of you quickly. We're just lucky that you haven't moved on yet. Edward usually moves on quickly." She paused, noticing that a blank look had crossed onto Ria's face. "Anyway, can you take us to Edward? It's incredibly important that we speak to both of you right away."

Ria nodded, and got to her feet. She led them up the dirt road in silence, and back to Belsio's house. Night had started to fall, and she could see a light inside of the kitchen. Pushing open the door, she wended her way through the hall, and into the kitchen. Ed, Belsio, Russell, Fletcher and Al all looked up at her in surprise. A second later, Ross and Bloch appeared behind her.

"Sergeant! Lieutenant! What are you doing here?" Ed asked.

Ross looked to Bloch, and then spoke. "Scar is back."

//-//

It had taken less than twenty minutes for Ross and Bloch to explain the Scar situation, but Ed felt as if it had taken forever. Scar had heard of the newest State Alchemist, and was attempting to track her down, Intelligence had told Mustang. Word had also leaked that she was traveling with the Fullmetal Alchemist, and Scar decided it would be a decent attempt at killing two birds with one stone. Thankfully, he had no idea where they were. Mustang had ordered Ross and Bloch to take the next train to Xenotime to act as their guard, promising that further security would be sent the next day. As soon as their story had ended, Ria had drifted off in another direction, as if the fact that a serial killer that targeted state alchemists and was after her specifically wasn't anything to worry about.

Ed entered the living room and watched as a light moved past the window. Ross and Bloch were patrolling the area around the house. He had grown to like them since the events in Laboratory five when they had first met, but Ria seemed to find them irritating. Ed flopped down on the couch, and stared around the room. It was mostly empty, except for a few photos of Belsio's niece and a couple of plants Fletcher was taking care of. Ed jumped as his eyes caught sight of his red coat flung over the top of his suitcase. Ria must have left it there for him, so he'd know she'd returned it. He reached down, and picked it up to examine it. Holding it with his flesh arm, he realized it felt heavy. Giving it a little shake, he could hear a jingle in the pocket.

"I wonder what that is," He whispered.

He reached in and pulled out the noisy, heavy object, holding it up to examine it. It was Ria's pocket watch. Placing his coat beside him on the couch, he cradled the watch in his hands. Ria's differed from his only in the name and that it was newer. Plus, he was sure she didn't have anything scratched in the front cover. Or maybe….

"No, I couldn't," He snapped at himself. "She'll never open up to me again if I open this first!"

He stared down at the watch, curiosity eating away at him. Ruling against his better judgment, Edward clicked the watch open. He shut it quickly, the fleeting image of a happy family in the back of his mind. Looking around, he was glad to see no one, not even Alphonse was near. Timidly, he opened the watch again, and gazed down at the picture. The young girl in the picture had to be Ria; the black hair and green eyes were the same, even though the picture girl had more life to it than the real one. She was holding on to a woman who had to be her mother. He smiled; Ria looked like her mother.

"I wonder how her mother feels about Ria being a State Alchemist?" Ed asked aloud.

The man in the picture was hard to make out due to being written over. Ed turned the watch slightly to read the words. _I will be with you again._ Who had written that, Ed wondered, and whom would they be with again?

"Ed, what are you doing?"

Ed jumped, snapping the watch closed. Alphonse had entered the room, and Ed, so deep in his thoughts, hadn't even heard him.

"Nothing," He mumbled, guiltily. He tried to hide Ria's watch from Al's sight.

"What is that?" Al asked, noticing it immediately.

Ed shook his head. "Nothing." He repeated.

"Give it here, Edward." Al's tone became sharp.

Knowing that Al could injure him just by sitting on him, Ed was always reluctant to argue. He held out the watch without looking at his younger brother. There was a small noise as it fell into Al's hand, and then silence.

"You were looking at Ria's watch?" Al's voice was accusing, and as usual, accurate. "Edward, I'm ashamed of you. How could you?"

"I know, Al, I know. I just couldn't help it. I didn't take it! It was in the pocket of my coat!" Ed turned to Al, trying to make him understand. "I was curious, I just wanted to know more about her. I didn't really think she had something in there!"

Al handed his brother the watch and pointed out the door. "Go return it to her, Edward, and admit what you did!"

Ed got to his feet and left the living room. He passed Fletcher in the hallway, and noticed he was carrying Little Ria in his arms. At the sight of him, the kitten meowed. He gave it a quick pat, and then continued to Ria's room. He knocked on the door, but there was no answer. He pushed the door open. The room was empty. Turning, he went to the kitchen. The only person in there was Belsio.

"Have you see Ria?" Ed asked, as the older man looked up.

"She was going outside when I saw her a little while ago." Belsio answered.

"She's sitting on the stack of hay outside the front door, Ed." Russell had entered the kitchen behind him.

Thanking Russell, Ed went to the front door. From a small side window, he could see Ria sitting exactly as Russell had said. She was staring upwards into the sky, and there was a calm look on her face. At once, the Fullmetal Alchemist felt guilty. Whatever trust she had built up in him was about to be destroyed. He hoped he was wrong as he pulled open the door. As he stepped outside, Ria turned her face towards the door. Ed could see Bloch at the gate about twenty feet away. At least he wouldn't have a direct witness to the oncoming scene.

"Something wrong?"

Ria's voice carried to him like a gentle breeze; it must've been written on his face that there was something going on. As he stared down at the Sin Alchemist, he was reminded of the time that his friend Winry had opened his own watch. He had been so angry with her. She had invaded his privacy, and saw his constant reminder of his desperately wanted goal. He knew just how Ria was going to feel when she heard what he had to say.

Without looking at her, he held out the watch. "I'm sorry, Ria," He whispered.

The only sound was the crickets. He felt the watch being lifted out of his hand, and he waited for whatever reaction would come. Even though he was expecting it, he was still unprepared for the force with which Ria shoved him back. As he slammed into the ground, he looked up at Ria's face. Her green eyes burned with fury, and her face was twisted with anger. He had never seen her so alive.

"How dare you, Edward Elric!" She hissed. She turned and fled towards the gate, past Bloch, and down the road.

Ed scrambled to his feet, and chased after her.

"Ed, what's going on?" Bloch asked, as Ross came around the side of the house.

"Stay here!" Ed ordered, as he ran past.

He was amazed at how fast Ria was. She was far ahead of him, and he was struggling to keep his pace. Finally, he caught up to her in the center of the village. She was stopped dead, staring ahead of her. Ed looked ahead, and saw two shadows through the darkness. Stopping beside Ria, he called out to the shadows.

"Who's there?"

There was a harsh laugh, and the sound of movement. The two figures stepped into the moonlight. One was a tall, lanky individual with green hair that resembled a palm tree; the other was a voluptuous looking woman with dark hair that fell in waves.

"Hello, Pipsqueak!" The green haired one said, looking at Ed. "Imagine running into you here."

It was hard to tell exactly what gender the green haired one was exactly, which was why Ed never gave it a category. For some reason, he never exploded at its insinuation that he was short.

"Envy, what are you doing here?" Ed growled.

Beside him, he felt Ria take a step back. At seeing this slight movement, the being called Envy turned its gaze towards the Sin Alchemist.

"Who is this? Your girlfriend?" Envy asked, ignoring Ed's question completely. "Sorry, Pipsqueak, but she's just too pretty for you. Isn't that right, Lust?"

The woman beside Envy gazed at Ria in slight interest. "I believe, Envy, that Fullmetal boy has already led us to the Sin Alchemist."

Envy gave a harsh laugh and turned back to Ed. "Always a puppet aren't you pipsqueak?"

There was a flash of green light, and Ed stepped in front of Ria. His right arm had been transmuted into a blade, which he held up, ready to fight. The two across from him exchanged a weird look between them.

"We're not here to fight you, Fullmetal boy," Lust said, in her sensual voice. "We just wanted to see the famous Sin Alchemist. We want to know if the rumors are true."

"So step aside," Envy moved forward. "We're not here for you."

Ed swung out his blade towards Envy. "Leave, now, before I am forced to kick your ass Envy." He took a step back, pushing Ria along with him as he went.

Before Ed could get Ria to safety, Lust had lunged at him, her finger growing into long spears in seconds. She thrust her hand towards him, attempting to pierce him. He dodged her attack, leaving Envy free to attack Ria. He caught sight of Ria, who had turned and ran in the other direction with Envy chasing after her.

"Don't harm her, Envy!" Lust shouted.

Envy laughed, as Ria darted behind a row of barrels and out of sight. "Come out come out, little pretty. Show me some of your alchemy. I'll bet its something we'd love to see!"

Lust swiped her hand at Ed again, and brought it down across his face. He felt three of the spears scrape his skin, and then the cool drops of blood working their way down the side of his face. He attempted to get a kick in to distract her long enough to attack with his blade, but she blocked him, sending him sprawling to the ground. He rushed back to his feet, and ran towards Envy, who was now kicking the barrels out of the way with such force they exploded on contact. Lust was following him, throwing her hands out toward him.

He ducked as one came over his head. Nothing mattered anymore than to reach Ria, to stop Envy from learning the truth. There was no other reason as to why they would be looking for her. Please, Ria, he thought, please don't do any alchemy. He knew though that if it meant saving her own life, Ria would do it. Sure enough, just as Envy kicked the last barrel out of the way, a brilliant light appeared. As it faded, Ed saw Envy slammed down to the ground by a giant black leopard. Ria appeared a second later, and saw Lust chasing after Ed. The look on Ria's face wasn't one of fear; in fact, she looked quite angry; even angrier than he had seen at Belsio's home. She clapped her hands together, and dropped to her knees on the dirt. She pressed her hands down on the ground, and as Ed ran past her, a second flash of green light appeared. It vanished to reveal a great, big bear that swiped its paws at Lust.

Ed moved back to Ria, and tried to pull her up.

"Get away from me," She hissed, struggling to her feet.

It was apparent that the effort it took Ria to transmute both creatures only minutes apart was taking its toll. Her small frame was shaking violently, as she pushed herself to stand upright. Her usually blank face was still twisted in anger, but beads of sweat trailed their way down her rosy cheeks. After a minute, Ria was standing beside him, still shaking, but at least she standing.

"Lust, get them!" Envy roared, dodging the leopard.

Lust withdrew her spears from the bear she had been fighting. It gave a roar, and keeled over dead. Her violet eyes searched the darkness for the barely visible forms of the two teenage state alchemists until she spotted them huddle in a corner. Ignoring Ria's protests, Ed took hold of her shoulders, and pulled her out of the way just as Lust lunged. As Ed released her, the Sin Alchemist swayed where she stood. He knew the only thing keeping her on her feet was her anger; it would only take one more transmutation to knock Ria down for good, and then he would have to fight the homunculi alone.

"GET DOWN, YOU TWO!"

An arrogant voice cut through the commotion, and Edward so accustomed to that voice, threw himself on Ria and pulled her down to the ground, only seconds before Lust was engulfed in a giant fiery explosion. There was a scream of pain, followed by another explosion. Ed pulled his hood over his face, and covered Ria with a length of his jacket and his body. A third explosion went off three feet from their heads, and Ed felt Ria's body squirm underneath him.

"Let's go, Lust. We have all we need here!" Envy's voice was audible over the explosions that were now going off all around them only seconds apart.

Ed tightened his grip on Ria afraid she would pull away and get injured in Colonel Mustang's overenthusiastic bombing rescue. His shirt was now soaked, but he had a funny feeling it wasn't from the sweat on Ria's face. Her body convulsed under him; every few minutes there was a whimper. After what felt like centuries, the bombing stopped, the only sounds around them being the crackling of fire, and Ria's whimpers.

"Are you alright, Fullmetal?"

Ed looked up into the face of Roy Mustang, who looked very worried. Ed nodded stupidly. Roy Mustang, worried? It wasn't possible.

"I'm fine, I-OW!" Ed jumped away from Ria as searing pain shot up his flesh arm, and turned back to face the Sin Alchemist. She had bit him.

She was sobbing uncontrollably, her black hair matted with dirt, and blood against her cheeks. Her body was still shaking as she tried to get to her feet. It didn't surprise Ed that she fell back to the ground only a few seconds later, sobbing even harder. Tentatively, the Fullmetal Alchemist reached out his hand to help her up. Ria swung a fist out, connecting with his chest, sending him back a few inches.

"Don't touch me!" She snarled. "DON'T EVER TOUCH ME AGAIN!"

Mustang knelt down beside Ria, and pulled his own military-issue coat over her shaking shoulders. Giving Ed a look that clearly said, '_Don't ask now,_' he pulled Ria to her feet. After a short struggle, Ria gave up and let the Colonel lead her back up the road, as they followed Ed towards Belsio's house. Ed looked back only once; he knew that Ria's sobs had nothing to do with the watch.

* * *

Please, read and review, but be kind. Thank you. 


	5. Four

**A/N**: Chapter Four. Yes, it's different then the series. Read past warnings, mmkay? I'm feeling lazy tonight and dont feel like typing them. I appreciate the reviews I get, and if you dont like this story, thats fine. Im gonna keep posting it anyway. :-D! Chapter Five coming in one week at the earliest. I want to get several more chapters ahead before I post another chapter.

Read and Review, people. Thanks.

**Warnings: **Some selfmutilation in this chapter. May be removed at a later date. Language.

**Disclaimer: **FMA not mine. Ria Karma is.

* * *

**_Fullmetal Alchemist_**

**_-and the-_**

**_Sin Alchemist_**

**-Four-**

Roy Mustang stood in the doorway looking down on the Sin Alchemist, who was sound asleep. Every fifteen minutes, the Colonel would stand from the couch in the living room, make his way down the hall to the back of the house, and peer in on Ria. After they had returned to Belsio's house, everyone exclaimed over Edward and Ria's condition. Mustang had waved Russell and Belsio away from Ria, ordered that they bring warm water to her room, and informed Belsio he would be staying the night. He then turned, and led Ria back to her room. She had not made a sound; her crying had subsided by the time they reached the gate. She was covered in dirt, even more than Ed, and she kept Mustang's coat wrapped tightly around her, even when she fell asleep.

Ed watched the Colonel from where he stood. Mustang's face, which was usually as blank and empty as Ria's, was full of concern. Sighing, Ed turned to go back to the living room.

"Fullmetal."

Ed turned back to face his commanding officer. Mustang was still peering into the room, but he motioned for Ed to come over. Doing as he was ordered, Ed approached the room cautiously, with no desire to wake Ria up.

"Sir?" He said, softly.

"Tell me what was going on. Ross said that Bloch witnessed Ria running into town with you chasing her only a few minutes before the attack," Mustang ordered quietly.

Ed looked into the room, the guilt from earlier rising up in his chest. What he had done earlier was foolish, childish, and now he was going to have to confess it to Mustang. If only he had not looked into the watch, then Mustang would have come upon Ria and Ed getting along and friendly with one another.

"I looked at her watch. Al caught me and told me to confess it to her, so I did. She was really angry, and she shoved me. The next thing I knew, she was running down the road, so I went to try and talk to her. I ordered Bloch to stay behind because I didn't want him there, otherwise-otherwise she wouldn't open up to me again," He spoke in such a whisper that he wasn't sure Mustang could hear him.

"What was in it?" The Colonel asked.

So he had heard him. "A picture of her and her parents."

The colonel nodded. "I was wondering what it was," He said, more to himself than Ed. "You two are very much alike."

"Sir?"

Roy moved away from the door, and motioned for Ed to follow him. They made their way to the empty kitchen, and took seats opposite each other at the table. Mustang looked directly at Ed, and sighed.

"I am only going to say this once, Fullmetal, and you had best listen well and dare not repeat it to anyone. Even to Ria herself, I don't want her to know exactly how much I've caught on to her, otherwise, she will disappear."

Ed sat up straight, willing to hear whatever Mustang had to tell him.

"Ria came from a small village up north. I was the one that tracked her down up there, after a subordinate came forward with information on her. My intentions were to bring her here to protect her. I knew her alchemy would bring her very close to danger. When I got there, I asked around town. An old woman told me a story about Ria, of how she had been living with her crazed father for years, after her mother died…."

So, Ed thought, Ria's mother was dead.

"The woman said that Ria's father had disappeared two years before, and since then Ria had been living on her own. I went to Ria's house to find her. What I found was a living doll. The house she lived in was a mess, with arrays drawn all over the floors and walls. There was no furniture in the house; she had broken it all down for firewood. I think she lived off of animals she transmuted. The old woman to whom I had spoken had said Ria rarely came into town. I found Ria outside, in the back yard. Her clothes were ragged, her hair was a mess, and if she hadn't been standing before me, I could've sworn she was dead."

Mustang paused. "Edward, I want you to realize something about her. Even though Ria gives out that empty aura, she is nothing short of a deeply complex and scarred person. And like you, she is using her position as a State Alchemist to reach a goal. What that goal is, I cannot say. But in someway, that picture you saw in her watch is connected to that goal."

Ed was surprised to see the Colonel pull out his own watch. Mustang clicked it open, and dangled it in front of Ed's face. Inside was a picture of Mustang holding Riza Hawkeye close, while his friend Maes Hughes stood beside them, a goofy grin on his face.

"We all have our secrets, Fullmetal," Mustang whispered. "What's yours?"

//-//

Ria sank down onto a pile of hay in the barn, and watched, as a few kittens appeared to greet her. It had taken her nearly all morning to be left alone. The morning itself had been rough. After impatiently explaining to a confused Mustang that since the town of Xenotime didn't have running water, he needed to remove all male creatures from the house so that she could bathe, she succeeded in bathing very quickly while Maria Ross stood near by. Breakfast had been awkward, as Ed constantly shot her sad looks. It took twenty minutes to argue Colonel Mustang into agreement that since the house was filled with people constantly going in and out it made perfect sense for her to go to the barn on her own. Perhaps just weary from arguing with her, Mustang had agreed on the condition that he could station Bloch ten feet away from the barn.

She pulled off Mustang's coat, and laid it beside her. She didn't like his coat, but she couldn't make herself go to Edward for his, not after the last twenty-four hours. Her anger at him had abated quickly, knowing that it mostly wasn't his fault. She could hardly explain to him why exactly she didn't want to be touched without diving into her life story. Her anger about the watch had stemmed from the fact that maybe he could figure out what her plan was, and prevent her from accomplishing it. Now, as she reached down to pet the kittens, it didn't matter. If Edward found out, she would head back home to her village, and finish there what had been started sixteen years ago.

Pulling away from the kittens, she reached her hand in her pocket, and pulled out her small pocketknife that she had stuffed into her pants earlier. She flipped the small blade open, and placed it between her teeth. As she bit down on the cold metal to prevent it from falling, she rolled her left pant leg up. She took the knife into her left hand, and holding her breath, pressed the blade into her skin once, and then again above the first. Blood ran down her leg, but Ria did little to stop it. Closing her eyes, she raised her face to the ceiling.

"One for the leopard, one for the bear. I am sorry," She whispered. "I'm sorry to have used those lost souls, and I pray they find peace."

She didn't hear the barn door open, or the clanking of armor. She didn't hear heavy footsteps as they entered. She was so lost in her remorse; she didn't even see Alphonse beside her.

"Ria, what happened to your leg?"

Ria whipped around and stared at the suit of armor beside her. He was looking at her leg, where the blood was steadily trailing down. He turned to face her finally.

"Ria?"

She could barely find her voice. "Al…."

The suit of armor sat beside her, its voice full of concern. "Ria, tell me please."

She hesitated. If she didn't tell Al, she knew he would go to his brother, or worse, Colonel Mustang. If she did tell him, at least she had a chance to persuade him to keep quiet. It was more likely that he would tell Edward or Mustang even is she did admit what the scars were, but she had to try.

"Alphonse, I'm going to tell you, but you will never understand. I'd like you to make me a promise though." She spoke quietly.

"What is it, Ria?" He asked.

"Promise me that you wont tell anyone about this," She put it bluntly. "I'm going to warn you now, if you tell anyone, even Edward, I will be gone by the end of the night."

Al was silent for a few minutes. "I promise, Ria."

She looked down at the kittens at her feet. "Each scar is a sinful transmutation. There should be more, but the ones on my leg are from when…."She faltered, before continuing. "They are from when my father left me, and I was forced to fend for myself."

"You track your sins?" Al whispered. "Like this? Why?"

"The pain helps me repent, and the scars are a constant reminder of why I must reach my goal," She answered.

"Your goal?" Al asked.

She nodded. "I have a goal just like Ed does. Mine just happens to be a little… different."

Al leaned over and picked up one of the kittens. "Speaking of Ed, you should talk to him, Ria."

She looked at Al. "What?"

"He's really upset that you're angry at him. He knows he was wrong to look at your watch, but for some reason he's desperate to know more about you. And, if you ever give yourself the chance to get to know Ed, you'll realize he doesn't sit back and wait for things to get done. Sometimes, he does the wrong thing to accomplish his aims," Al explained.

The kitten he was holding crawled its way up his arm, meowing, and batting at the spikes on Alphonse's helmet. It was cute, and persistent; she was vaguely reminded of Edward. The blood on her leg, she noticed, was dry, and the cuts had ceased bleeding. She rolled the pant leg down, covering the evidence of what she had just done. She'd clean it later.

"Where is he, Alphonse?" Ria asked.

"He was heading to the fruit fields when I last saw him. He'll be by himself," Al answered, stroking the kitten with his finger. "Don't be too hard on him, Ria."

Ria nodded, and left the barn. Bloch moved to follow her, but she stopped him.

"I'll be all right, Sergeant, I'm just going to find Edward," She called.

It took her a little while to find him, but eventually she spotted him by a circle of apple trees that were found on one of the farthest fields. He was kicking fallen apples and muttering to himself. As she approached him, his mutterings grew louder.

"I don't understand…what did I do to make her hate me so? It couldn't have been the watch, could it have?"

With each musing, an apple went flying. Some smashed as he kicked them with his automail leg, other simply landed bruised in the grass a few feet away. Ria stepped forward.

"Edward."

At once, he turned to face her. He looked shocked to see her standing before him, as if he had expected her anger to stay permanent.

A moment later, words came tumbling out of his mouth before he could stop it. "Ria, I am so sorry. I didn't mean to look at your watch; it was stupid of me to do it. It was there. I just couldn't help myself. I really thought it was empty. I thought I was the only one who would have something to hide in his watch."

"Edward, relax. I'm not angry about the watch anymore," She spoke softly so that he would have to stop talking to hear her.

"You're not?" The Fullmetal Alchemist stopped a foot in front of her.

Ria shook her head. "I'm not angry anymore about anything. I just want you to know that there are things I cannot tell you. You just happened to come very near to both of those things yesterday with the watch and during the fight, and it was all too much for me at one time. That's why I was so angry."

She could see the wheels in his head turning, absorbing this new information. He was still surprised that she was in front of him, let alone speaking calmly and openly. She looked at him as he stared dumbly back at her, his mouth open, and eyes wide.

'Don't make me call you short to get a reaction out of you," She whispered.

//-//

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING SO SHORT HE COULD ARM WRESTLE A MICROBE?"

Ed felt stupid even as the words fell out of his mouth, but he noticed Ria smile faintly. Her eyes were full of life, something that Ed quite enjoyed seeing when it happened. He noticed she had Mustang's coat in her arms, and he frowned.

"Why are you wearing that piece of junk?" He asked.

He turned and went over to underneath one of the apple trees. His own coat was folded neatly on the ground. He swept it up in his arms and returned to Ria. He pushed it into her arms, all the while staring at his feet.

"I think my coat is better," He murmured.

"It is," was the soft response.

Ed grinned goofily again. Why did she make him feel this way, he wondered. Edward Elric had never felt this way around anyone in his life. He had saved many people and he would die for his brother, but Ria was somehow different. There was no thinking involved with her; it was either just do it, or lose her completely. He didn't want that. He wanted to make Ria smile; he wanted to hear her laugh.

"Fullmetal."

Ed felt his face drain of all color. Ria was staring behind him at the owner of the intruding voice, her eyes narrowed in such a way that would have sent even Colonel Mustang running. Ed turned, and came face to face with a man with red eyes. An x-shaped scar crisscrossed his face, and his right arm was tattooed with an alchemy array. Scar had finally found them, even worse he had found them alone. It figured that even though both he and Ria had the best protection the army could offer Colonel Mustang was nowhere near the two of them at the moment. He probably had no idea where they were.

Scar's eyes traveled over Ed's head, and spotted Ria. Though no smile crossed the Ishbalan's face, Ed knew there was a sudden rise of elation in Scar. He obviously knew that Ria was the Sin Alchemist, and not some ordinary village girl. Ed clapped his hands, and held his right over his left arm, transmuting his automail into a long blade. He held it up across his chest, ready to fight as soon as Scar made a move.

"The Sin Alchemist. I am not surprised to find her with you, Fullmetal. At least now I can kill you both," The deep, hate-filled voice of Scar carried clearly towards the two teens. "You get to choose who dies first. You, or her?"

Ed crouched, planning to move first. "Ria," He whispered. "Run. Get Mustang."

"Edward, I am not leaving you," She whispered back. "He'll kill you."

"He plans to kill us both. Just go, I can hold him off until you get Mustang." Ed snapped. "I'll follow you!" He promised when she refused to move.

Without a second glance, Ria had turned and bolted in the opposite direction. Scar didn't hesitate; he flew past Ed after Ria.

"So you chose that she dies first," Scar shouted as he ran after the surprisingly quick Sin Alchemist. "How very military-like of you, Fullmetal."

Ed was stunned; he had expected Scar to attack him first. Pulling himself back to reality, Ed ran after Scar. He could see Ria was at least thirty feet ahead of Scar, but it was still a long way to Belsio's house, and that meant plenty of time for the Ishbalan to catch up with her. Ed pushed himself to run faster.

"DAMN THAT FLAME BASTARD! OF ALL THE TIMES HE'S KEPT AN EYE ON ME, WHY DOESN'T HE HAVE ONE NOW!" Ed shouted angrily.

It was true that in the last few months before the introduction of the Sin Alchemist, Roy Mustang had lessened the secretive protection that he always had around the Fullmetal Alchemist and Alphonse. He had only done it after Ed had run into Breda on one of his missions after a particularly embarrassing moment in which Edward had been kissed by a drag queen after rescuing the town. Word had quickly spread about the incident back at headquarters, causing Ed to be the butt of many jokes. He returned to Mustang's office, and destroyed the man's desk with a smash of his fist. After that, Mustang agreed to only send the protection in situations that were likely to turn incredibly dangerous. Ed had wondered whether or not the protection had been reenacted since he had left on his journey with Ria, but now it was apparent that it hadn't. All the protection they need was inside of Belsio's house, perhaps sitting back, relaxing, and laughing. And he and Ria were about to die for it.

Suddenly, the house came into view. Ria was very close to it, but the distance between her and Scar had diminished. One false move, and Ria would fall to the murderer. Ed watched as she ran past the house, out the gate, and down into the town. She couldn't stop running, he realized, otherwise Scar would be able to literally get his hands on her. He heard a faint shout as she disappeared from sight, but he couldn't make out what it was or who had said it. As he approached the house, it was only just in time to see Al dash inside, calling for Mustang. Ed continued forward, hoping to catch up to the two in front of him.

People were screaming and running out of the center of Xenotime. Ed had to push his way through the crowds, slowing him down further.

"Don't go that way, kid!" A man shouted, trying to pull Ed back. "There's some mad man trying to attack some girl! He destroying everything in his path."

As if to prove the man right, there was a loud explosion followed by several screams. Ed freed himself from the man's grip, and charged in the opposite direction of the crowds. There was another explosion, much louder than the first. At least Ria's still alive, he thought, at least I still have time.

The center of Xenotime was empty, except for the lone Scar. A pile of rubble lay at the man's feet, surrounded by a cloud of dust. The Sin Alchemist was nowhere to be seen.

"Come out, girl, and face your doom!" Scar roared.

There was a sudden flash of green light, leaving in its place a black wolf, growling and baring its teeth at Scar. Ed spotted a flash of black hair as Ria ran from one building to behind another. Scar turned from the demolished building and faced the wolf. It ran at Scar, and launched itself in the air. Scar reached out his right arm, and caught the wolf's head in his hand just as it sank its teeth into his wrist. A flash of red light was followed by a yelp, and the wolf was blown to pieces. A moan came from somewhere behind Ed, and he turned to see a weakened Ria staring down at the mutilated wolf. Two things were clear; she had no idea what she was up against, and the wolf hadn't been her first transmutation. Scar had heard her moan; his body twisted around to face her, a malicious smile on her face.

Ed couldn't wait anymore; he threw himself at Scar, bring the automail blade down across the man's chest. There was a spurt of blood as Ed dodged the destructive left arm. He rolled away from Scar, and ran back to Ria. She was knelt down on the ground, her hands hovering an inch from the ground. It was clear she was hesitant to perform another transmutation.

"NO!" Ed cried. "Don't do anymore alchemy!" He pulled her up, and pushed her out of the way, as Scar's foot swept over their heads. Ed clapped his hands, and slammed them to the ground, causing a ripple to arise in the dirt. Scar fell back, deterred by the newly shaped earth. Ed leapt at him, bringing down his blade again. Scar's fist slammed into Ed's jaw, throwing the Fullmetal Alchemist backward. He heaved himself to his feet, and charged Scar again. This time the Ishbalan's foot caught Edward in the stomach. He groaned, clutching his abdomen. In that split second, Scar's fist began to rain down on the boy, forcing him backward, moving to corner him. Ed felt his head slammed back into a wall, and a hand crushed his forehead, holding his head back against the wall. His body wasn't moving; Ed moaned silently, he was seeing stars. Scar was going to kill him right where he stood.

"It's time for you to die, Fullmetal," Scar whispered, his mouth so close to Ed's ear it actually tickled.

"EDWARD!" Ria's voice echoed all around him.

There was a sharp clap, and with in seconds Scar was ripped away from him. Ed slid to the ground and slumped over.

"Ria," He croaked, but it was the only word he could get out.

He was only in the darkness for a minute, but as soon as Edward came back, he forced himself to his feet. His eyes searched the horizon, to where the only entry into the center of the village could be found. He could just barely make out two figures running towards them. He turned, looking for Ria.

"No." The whisper escaped his lips.

Scar was standing only a few feet away from him. In front of the Ishbalan, Ria was on her knees. Tears were streaming down her sweaty, dirt covered face. Her eyes were closed as Scar's left hand tightened on her forehead. Scar was looking down on her, his face like nothing Ed had ever seen before. It was actually full of pity.

"So that's why they call you the Sin Alchemist. You ARE a sin, and you're suffering for it as well. You shouldn't even be alive, and you know it. That's why you aren't going to stop me," Scar's voice was cold, but there was pity in that too. "Your soul is so broken. I will help you find peace, girl."

Ed dashed towards Scar, pushing the man away from Ria. Scar, almost losing his balance, grabbed Ed's automail arm. His hand began to bleed, but it didn't stop him. A flash of red light engulfed the two of them, and Ed's automail exploded into large shards. A jagged shard gored Ed's flesh arm, and a second one lodged itself in his lower abdomen. He moaned, trying to stay on his feet. His moan was drowned out by a painful scream from behind him. He pulled away, and turned, wobbling for a moment. A length of his blade was sticking out from Ria's shoulder. Her left arm hung limply at her side, as her right fumbled against the blade. Each of her fingers on her right hand was bleeding; blood was steadily dripping down her left arm. There was a second, smaller flash of red light surrounding the blade; a moment later the blade blew apart. Ria screamed again, her head falling forward to the dirt as the blade's pieces embedded themselves into her injured shoulder. Ed swayed where he stood. His own blood was spilling out of him at an alarming rate. He felt himself drop to his knees. He could see the limp form of the Sin Alchemist at the feet of Scar; he could hear voices calling their names. Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, could do nothing. His eyes were feeling heavy, as his body slowly crumpled under the loss of blood.

"Ria," he whispered, as the darkness over took him. "I'm sorry."

//-//

A white light swam above Edward's eyes. He desperately wanted to reach out and catch it, but he couldn't. Neither of his arms would move. He blinked, and the room around him became clearer. The white light he had seen was nothing but the moon light from a nearby window. He could also see why neither of his arms had moved. His left was bandaged tightly. He had no right arm; the only thing left there was the port to attach the automail to. His mind was flooded with images from the battle with Scar, and a fallen Ria. _Ria._ Ed struggled to sit up, but his body was so heavy, he couldn't. He resigned him self to looking around the room. He spotted Alphonse sitting in a corner, his head bent. Beside Al was a machine that looked very much like one he had seen during his first automail surgery. So he was in a hospital, he thought, but where's Ria? He turned his head, and focused on a sleeping form at the foot of his bed.

Colonel Mustang was slumped over in a chair, his eyes closed. He looked as if he hadn't shaved for a few days, and his normally shiny obsidian colored hair was greasy. His uniform was wrinkled, and his white undershirt was stained. The jacket top of his uniform was balled up and shoved under his neck, a makeshift pillow. Ed nearly laughed; he had never seen Mustang so unkempt. His grin faded as he noticed the bed beside his. A tangled mess of matted, blood soaked hair framed the scratched face of the Sin Alchemist.

Ria's face was dotted with tiny droplets of sweat, and every few seconds her head tossed. The moonlight fell across her shoulder, and Ed could see it was bandaged. The bandage was stained red, and the center of the stain was scarlet. Her blood was still coming from the wound. Ed turned guiltily away; it was his fault.

"_Edward._" He heard his name moaned from the bed beside his.

She was dreaming of him. He turned towards her again. He wondered when she would awaken. He wanted to talk to her.

Dawn rose without another word from the Sin Alchemist. Ed had taken to staring at the ceiling. He couldn't find the strength to talk, so he would have to wait until someone moved and noticed him. After an hour a so, the sun was in the sky, and Al finally moved. He got to his feet, and stared at the sleeping Colonel. A moment later, he walked over to Ed's bed.

"Brother! You're awake!" Al gasped.

There was a sound of chair being pushed back, and sleepy looking Flame Alchemist appeared at the foot of Ed's bed.

"Fullmetal, how nice of you to join us," The Colonel said gruffly.

Ed smiled faintly. He wanted to ask how Ria was, but with no voice, it was hard. He nodded his head in Ria's direction, hoping either Al or Mustang would get the idea. Mustang cleared his throat.

"Ria hasn't woken up yet, Edward. She has an incredibly high fever from the infection in her shoulder where the shards of your automail were embedded." Mustang said. He glanced down at the small clock on Edward's beside table. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go. I'll see you later, Fullmetal. Alphonse, please…."

"If there are any changes, I'll let you know immediately, Colonel Mustang," Al nodded.

The Colonel nodded, and turned, pulling his loose clothes along as he went. Al watched him go before turning back to Edward, who gazed up at him questionably.

"Brother, you and Ria have been in the hospital already for three days. The Colonel and I were starting to wonder if we had lost both of you. I mean- by the looks of it when we finally got to you…." Al paused. "The Colonel carried both of you one at a time to Belsio's house. He refused to let me help; he was muttering something about how it was his fault. He…he was really upset, Ed. It was kind of weird. He arranged for you and Ria to be transferred here, and every evening after he gets out of work, he's been coming here and spending the night. The nurses have been joking; they ask him if he wants them to set up a third bed in here, besides the Colonel's Chair."

Ed stared pointedly at Ria again. A sigh came from deep within the armor.

"The doctors said once her fever breaks she'll come around. It took them until yesterday afternoon to get all of the pieces out of her shoulder, which is where the infection came from. Hopefully, she'll wake up soon."

Ed nodded. His eyes were feeling heavy. Perhaps he would sleep a bit more. A moment later, without another thought, he was engulfed by the darkness again.

//-//

Three days later, Edward was out of bed and walking around his hospital room. He spent a lot of time leaned against Ria's bed, watching her, hoping she would wake. Colonel Mustang had returned the past two nights, speaking little and taking his place in what the nurses and Al had dubbed the Colonel's Chair. The days had a schedule. Ed would wake as soon as the sun was in the sky, harass Mustang for a little while, and then a nurse would bring breakfast in as Mustang left for the day. After breakfast, a nurse would change Ed's bandages, while a second one changed the one on Ria's shoulder. After they left, Ed would send Al out of the room for a while on some meaningless task so he could watch Ria alone. After Al returned, they'd play some silly board game that a nurse had brought them, until lunch was brought. After lunch, Ed would either nap, or read. As soon as dusk had fallen, Colonel Mustang would show up with a subordinate, both carrying hot food from a local restaurant.

Ed found himself staring at Ria as the nurse changed his bandages. The second nurse was carefully sitting Ria up to unwrap her shoulder. The Sin Alchemist's head lolled to the side, her eyes closed. Ed flinched as he saw the wound on her shoulder. The circular wound was flaming red around the edges, and a putrid smell was flowing from it. The nurse beside him noticed the disgusted look on his face.

"Just her body trying to purify itself, get rid of the dead cells. It's much better than it was when you two first came in here. Unfortunately, she might not be able to move her arm like she used to," She murmured.

Ed nodded, as his eyes caught sight of Ria's leg peaking out from underneath her sheets. The nurses had stopped tucking in her blankets and sheets as Ria ended up pulling them loose anyway when she tossed and turned. Ed narrowed his eyes. He could see a series of scars on her leg. He made a mental note to check them, after the nurses had left. He leaned his head back, and saw the tall form of Alphonse standing on the other side of his bed.

"Al?"

"Yes, Brother?"

"Could you get me an apple pie from the hospital cafeteria?"

"Edward! You just ate!"

"Please, Al? I'm really hungry!"

With a sigh, Al turned and left the room. After a few minutes both nurses followed him, leaving Ed alone in the room with Ria. He stepped down onto the floor from his bed, and crossed over to Ria. He looked at her. The wound was already leaking onto the new bandage, but at least it was no longer blood. It was just pus that meant the wound was cleaning itself. Her face was still covered in sweat, but she was silent. Her mutterings had stopped the day before. He turned away, and pulled the blanket from her leg, reveal the line of scars traveling upwards towards her knee. Two of them were still red; they were recent. He placed his hand on her leg, and instinctively, she jerked it away. Even in her feverish state, she obviously didn't want anyone to see. He waited until she was still again, before pulling the blanket away from her leg again.

"Edward."

Alphonse stood in the doorway, cradling a slice of apple pie in his huge hand. He stared down at Ed, who still held the blanket. Ed let the white fabric drop back over Ria's leg, and guiltily retreated to his own bed. Alphonse handed him the pie.

"Brother, must you always know things you aren't supposed to?" A weary voice asked from inside the soulless hunk of steel.

"What do you mean, Alphonse?" Ed asked, raising a blonde eyebrow suspiciously. "Do you know what those scars are? Did Ria tell you?"

Al's body creaked as he made his way over to his usual spot in the corner. As he clunked down onto the floor, he stared up at Edward.

"Trust me, Edward, you don't want to know what those scars are to her. Besides, I promised I wouldn't tell anyone." Ed stared down at Al.

He was insulted; he an Al always told each other everything. "Why can't you tell me? I won't tell anyone."

"No, brother. I am not going to tell you. If she finds out you know, she will leave," Al's head creaked louder as it turned from side to side.

"Leave?" Ed asked.

"Yes," Al responded. "She told me if anyone besides me found out, she would disappear and make sure no one could find her."

"All over some little scars?" Ed asked. His mind was whirling with possibilities; what was so horrible about those scars?

"Edward, trust me. You don't want to know."

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**Read/Review. Thank You.**


	6. END

DISCONTINUED

DISCONTINUED.

I'm no longer working on this piece. The theory behind it is wrong, and I don't feel like fixing it. Thanks for your reviews. Check back in the future for Other Pieces By RICOCHET941.


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